Posted: Mar 29, 2025
Cougars Split Four-Game Series Against Huntington
Huntington (IN)
(12-17, 7-12)
10
Saint Francis (Ind.)
(15-15, 13-6)
6
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Huntington (IN) | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 2 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 1 |
Huntington (IN)
(11-17, 6-12)
3
Saint Francis (Ind.)
(15-14, 13-5)
9
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Huntington (IN) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | X | 9 | 8 | 1 |
Huntington (IN)
(13-17, 8-12)
8
Saint Francis (Ind.)
(15-16, 13-7)
4
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Huntington (IN) | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
Huntington (IN)
(12-15, 6-11)
4
Saint Francis (Ind.)
(14-14, 12-5)
7
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Huntington (IN) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | X | 7 | 7 | 0 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) baseball team picked up two wins, splitting a four-game series against Huntington University on March 27 and 29.
On Thursday, the Cougars won both games, beating Huntington by final scores of 7-4 and 9-3. On Saturday, the Cougars and Foresters battled rain, but HU managed to come out on top, taking the first game 10-6 before winning the series finale 8-4.
SAINT FRANCIS 7, HUNTINGTON 4
- Huntington started strong, taking a 3-0 lead with a three-run home run in the top of the first inning.
- Kasen Oribello responded, launching a home run in the bottom half of the inning to cut Huntington's lead to 3-1.
- Saint Francis leveled the score at 3-3 in the second inning with a triple from Sam Pesa and an RBI from Eli Riley.
- After Huntington regained the lead with an RBI single in the fourth inning, the Cougars responded with a sacrifice fly from Xavier Nolan and an RBI single from Jayden Lepper to retake a one-run lead.
- Saint Francis held on for the win by holding Huntington scoreless in the final five innings and adding two more runs—one due to an error by the Foresters and the other on a double from Lepper —to secure a 7-4 win.
- Saint Francis had seven hits and nine walks in game one. Lepper went 2-4 at the plate with a double, two RBI, a stolen base and a walk. Nolan also drove in two runs and had a double and a stolen base, while Brenden Lytle stole two bases.
- Lukas North got the start on the mound for the Cougars, striking out nine batters and scattering six hits in eight innings pitched.
- Cameron Niedens earned his fourth save of the season, striking out a batter in one inning of scoreless relief.
SAINT FRANCIS 9, HUNTINGTON 3 (7 INNINGS)
- In the second game, Pesa hit his second home run of the season with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, putting the Cougars ahead 2-0.
- Ayden Lichtensteiger doubled down the leftfield line to score two more runs. Riley followed with a two-run double and a single to right center from Lytle extended Saint Francis's lead to 7-0 in the bottom of the third.
- HU drove in two runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut USF's lead to 7-2.
- The Cougars responded with a sacrifice fly from Callan Stauffer to make the score 8-2.
- Another sacrifice fly from Lepper in the sixth inning made it a seven-run game, and despite the Foresters scoring in the top of the seventh, Saint Francis secured the 9-3 win.
- As a team, the Cougars had eight hits and were walked five times. Lichtensteiger, Riley and Pesa all had two RBIs in game two. Lichtensteiger also had two doubles and a run scored, while Riley and Pesa each had extra-base hits. Lepper and Stauffer also drove in runs.
- Gage Smith struck out five batters while giving up six hits in 6.2 innings on the mound as the starting pitcher.
HUNTINGTON 10, SAINT FRANCIS 6
- Huntington took an early lead with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning.
- Riley responded with a solo shot to left field, narrowing the Foresters' lead to one run.
- HU put together a big third inning, scoring seven runs to extend their lead to 9-1.
- Lepper and Pesa both hit RBI doubles to left field in the bottom of the third to cut Huntington's lead to 9-3.
- After Huntington added another run in the sixth, Saint Francis attempted a rally, scoring three runs with an RBI walk from Stauffer and another RBI from Lytle. But the Cougars fell short, and Huntington took game three with a final score of 10-6.
- The Cougars had seven hits in Saturday's first game of the day, with Nolan and Lepper both going 2-4 at the plate. Lepper had an extra-base hit and an RBI while Nolan scored a run and had two stolen bases. Lytle had two RBI and a walk. Riley hit his sixth homer of the season in the second inning.
- Perry Stow got the start on the mound, collecting two strikeouts and giving up four hits in 2.1 innings of work.
- Gavin Noble struck out five batters while holding HU to three hits in 3.2 innings of relief, while Bryce Adams also had three strikeouts.
HUNTINGTON 8, SAINT FRANCIS 4 (7 INNINGS)
- Pesa brought in a run in the bottom of the first inning to give USF a 1-0 lead to start Saturday's second game.
- The Foresters were able to score eight runs in the third and fifth innings to take the 8-1 advantage.
- In the bottom of the sixth, Riley hit a single to score Pesa, cutting Huntington's lead to six runs.
- Stauffer followed with an RBI single down the left-field line, and Lytle contributed another single to center field, making the score 8-4.
- Huntington stopped the Cougars' run short as the Foresters won the series finale 8-4.
- As a team, USF scattered nine hits. Stauffer went 3-4 at the plate with a double and an RBI. Pesa hit 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Nolan also had an extra-base hit and a run scored.
- Blaine McRae struck out six of the 25 batters he faced in 4.2 innings on the mound for Saint Francis.
- Cameron Niedens threw 2.1 innings of relief, collecting a strikeout and holding Huntington to one hit.
Up next, USF baseball (15-16, 13-7) will host Madonna for a non-conference game on Tuesday, April 1 starting at 3:00 p.m.
Cougar fans stay updated with all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.
