FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On Saturday afternoon, the University of Saint Francis Cougars (12-6; 2-2 Crossroads) played host to the Huntington University Foresters (4-8; 2-2 Crossroads) in the final two games of their four-game series at Cougar Field, and earned a split losing the opener 6-5 before winning the finale 6-1. 

In the opening game, the Cougars started strong on offense, as they went to work after taking advantage of a couple hit batsmen. Saint Francis plated two runs in the opening frame on a single by third baseman Kaden Sullivan to give starter Casey Henry a two-run cushion.

The Cougars kept going to work with the bats in the second and third innings as freshman second baseman Sam Pesa slammed his fourth home run of the season, a solo shot in the third to give Saint Francis a 3-0 lead.

Saint Francis led 4-1 after the fourth inning, but the Foresters battled back. Huntington plated a run in the fifth and sixth innings off of Henry to close the deficit to within one run, but the sophomore hurler held them from there and preserved the lead.

Henry's day was complete after six innings of work allowing just three runs on nine hits while fanning nine batters.

But come the eighth inning, the Cougars still led, but then a couple costly fielding errors put the first two runners on for Huntington, and they took advantage. The Foresters scored two two-out runs to take their first lead of the game at 5-4.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Cougars tied it back up with a bases-loaded walk, but a leadoff double for the Foresters set the table in the ninth. Huntington scored the eventual winning run on a sacrifice fly as the Cougars suffered the loss.

In the finale, Cory Wolter took the mound for Saint Francis and pitched well in the early going. He kept the Foresters off the scoreboard through the first two innings, and then in the bottom of the frame, shortstop Jose Valdes-Sandoval broke the deadlocked scoring with a two-out single to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Sam Pesa continued his tear over the weekend with a two-out RBI-double to double the lead for Saint Francis.

Then in the bottom of the fifth, the Cougars put the game away as center fielder Collin Landrum smacked a three-run home run over the right-center field wall to put Saint Francis ahead 5-0, and they never looked back.

Wolter went the distance to earn the win, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out seven batters.

The Cougars resume play next Friday when they play host to the Goshen College Maple Leafs (4-8; 1-1 Crossroads) in a four-game series at Cougar Field with a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 pm.