FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On Friday afternoon, the University of Saint Francis Cougars (11-5; 1-1 Crossroads) played host to the Huntington University Foresters (3-7; 1-1 Crossroads) at Cougar Field in the opening series of Crossroads League play, and thanks to a 13-run fifth inning in game one, split the two games winning 14-9 before falling 6-1.

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Sophomore pitcher Hunter Frost took the mound to start the opener for the Cougars and set down the Foresters in the first inning. But come the second inning he ran into some trouble.

The Foresters took advantage of a couple walks and four hits, including a double and a triple to plate four runs off the sophomore hurler to go ahead 4-0. Through the next several innings, the Cougars went quietly at the plate being rendered hitless through the first four innings.

Suddenly, like the flip of a switch, the Cougars came to life in the fifth. It started with a leadoff walk to second baseman Sam Pesa, and then with one out, the Cougars loaded the bases and scored their first run of the game on a wild pitch.

Then the rally began. Consecutive hits by left fielder Alec Brunson and designated hitter David Miller tied the game at four, and Saint Francis kept pressing. Third baseman Kaden Sullivan drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded walk, and up came Sam Pesa for the second time in the inning.

The freshman hammered the ball over the left-center field wall for a grand slam. It was the first grand slam for the Cougars this season, and it broke the game open at 9-4.

But the Cougars weren't finished there. Five more walks to the Cougars and three more hits in the inning followed and when it was all said and done the Cougars had scored 13 runs in the fifth inning to pull ahead by nine.

After the second inning, Frost settled in and pitched well. He was finished after the sixth inning having allowed six runs on six hits, but he kept his team in the game to earn the win.

After one final rally by the Foresters in the ninth, Lukas North came in to close out the comeback victory as the Cougars took the opener.

In the finale, freshman Deron Swanson took the mound to start for the Cougars, and he started off strong retiring the Forester in the first. Huntington did take the lead though in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly, but the Cougars got that run right back in their half of the frame.

Come the top of the fourth, the Foresters found some two-out magic off Swanson as they scored three runs on a double and a single to pull ahead 4-1. At the plate this game, the Cougar bats went cold as they managed just one run on three hits as Swanson took the loss.

During the game, Swanson pitched well despite the loss, allowing just four runs on five hits with three strikeouts.

The Cougars and Foresters will conclude their four-game series Saturday afternoon with another doubleheader at Cougar Field with the opener beginning at 1:00 pm.