The Goshen College baseball team fought a hard fight while hosting the Mastodons of Indiana University Purdue Fort Wayne on Tuesday, but ultimately fell 6-4.

Goshen (14-13-1, 4-4 Crossroads League) got the afternoon started with a run when Spenser Triplett, a first-year, brought home Ryan Hartig, a junior, in the first inning for a 1-0 lead.

After IPFW (4-18) took the lead  with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, the Leafs evened the contest when Clinton Stroble II, a sophomore, doubled home Vincent Caschera, a senior, in the third.

The Mastodons went ahead for good with a run in the fourth, before extending the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. The Leafs responded with two runs of their own in the sixth when Triplett scored Ben Longacre, a first-year, and Anthony Todaro, a first-year, drove in Triplett to cut the deficit to 5-4.

IPFW put the game away with an insurance run in the bottom of the inning and would hold on for a 6-4 victory.

Brad Lantz, a senior, got the start for Goshen and went two innings before six different Leafs pitching in relief. Seth Lapp, a senior, Kyle Kotecki, a sophomore, Colton Daniel, a first-year, Brandon Vires, a junior, James Stricker, a sophomore, and Chandler Ingle, a sophomore, all threw an inning out of the bullpen in the loss.

Triplett led the offense with a pair of RBIs as Stroble and Todaro each drove in one of Goshen’s other two runs. Caschera, Hartig and Longacre all scored a run for the Leafs with Caschera, Stroble and Triplett each collecting a team-high two hits apiece.

IPFW’s Duane Miller earned the win for the Mastodons as Brandon Phelps recorded the save. Jackson Boyce drove in a game-high three runs as Travis Upp, Alec Reuille and Zak Kellogg all drove in a run each.

Goshen traveled to Spring Arbor University Wednesday but the game was completed after print deadline. The Leafs will be back in action on Friday afternoon when they host conference opponent Bethel College for the first of a three game weekend series with the Pilots. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 3 p.m.