GOSHEN, Ind. — The Goshen College softball team recorded 26 hits to grab a win in two tries against the University of St. Francis this past Saturday at the John Ingold Athletic Complex.

Candace Sutter, a senior, powered the high-octane offense to a game one 6-5 comeback victory with five hits. The North Branch, Michigan native provided the first and last hits of the game from her leadoff spot. She got the ball rolling for the Leafs (9-14, 1-3 CL) in the bottom of the first by way of a single and two stolen bases before a wild pitch allowed Sutter to score the game’s first run.

Leah Hermann, a first-year, then blasted a double down the left field line later in the inning to score Katherine Boyer, a sophomore, and Rianna Koteles, a first-year.

USF (10-7, 1-2 CL) would then hold Goshen scoreless until the sixth inning, allowing them to grab a 5-4 advantage heading into the last frame. Down by just one run with one out remaining, Taylor Sutliff, a sophomore, singled to right field before Allison White, a first-year, mashed a double off the left-field wall to score Sutliff.

The team’s nine-hitter catcher, Cassandra Espinoza, a first-year, then kept the game alive with a single to advance White to third, bringing up none other than Sutter to seal the game and give the Leafs a victory in walkoff fashion.

Pitcher Alexis Carpenter, a senior, twirled all seven innings in the victory, scattering nine hits, one walk and three strikeouts. Carpenter was accredited four earned runs to give the ace her fifth win of the early season. The Michigan product currently leads the team with a 3.81 earned run average across 68 innings of work.

Game two provided more hits and more runs for each team, but an early USF offensive attack proved too much to overcome for the Leafs.

The Cougars scored at least two runs in each of the first four innings of play to grab a quick 11-0 lead before Sandra Rodriguez, a sophomore, delivered a two-run homer and a collection of singles from Sutliff, Sutter, Boyer and Koteles tacked on two more for GC.

Action was halted in the six inning due to a mercy rule. Boyer led the Leaf offense with three hits and a pair of RBIs. Five other Leafs added a pair of hits while Koteles and Rodriguez accounted for the remaining RBIs with two apiece. All USF starters recorded at least one hit in the contest.

Goshen’s doubleheader originally scheduled for this Tuesday has been postponed to April 6th due to weather. The Leafs will return to Crossroads League action with a road trip this weekend to Taylor University.

The twinbill is set for a 4 p.m. start on Friday before the ladies hit the road once again the following day to visit Mount Vernon Nazarene for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.