Long’s shutout highlights HU doubleheader

HUNTINGTON, Ind. - Senior pitcher Molly Long fired her first complete-game shutout of the season with a 10-0 win over the Manchester College Spartans on Wednesday afternoon. She scattered three hits while striking out five in her five innings on the mound to lead Huntington University to a convincing season-opening win.

The Foresters wasted no time taking control of the game when Peyton Klinkhamer reached base on a walk and then stole home in the bottom of the first to give HU an early 1-0. The Foresters broke the game wide open in the next inning. Amy Snider and Klinkhamer knocked in HU’s first two runs of the inning before Katie Bowers unleashed a powerful blast into the tennis courts with the bases loaded for the grand slam to extend HU’s lead to 7-0.

Bowers tripled in the fourth to pick up two more RBI in the fourth to push her runs batted in to six for the game. She finished with two hits and scored two runs to lead the Foresters at the plate. Katie Knous added an RBI single while Kinkhamer scored two runs.

It was a tale of two halves for HU as they went ice cold at the plate to drop a 2-0 decision to the Spartans in the nightcap. Lindsay Shellabarger picked up the Foresters’ lone hit in the bottom of the fourth.

Marcie McDougle held Manchester scoreless through the first six innings but the Spartan’s bats came alive in the top of the seventh as they plated two runs to take a 2-0 lead that stuck. She gave up seven hits and two earned runs while striking out eight.

The Foresters move to 1-1 on the season. They travel to Arizona for spring break to participate in the Tucson Invitational Games.