The Goshen College baseball team hosted Siena Heights University on Tuesday for an afternoon doubleheader, with the Leafs taking game one 9-3 but falling in the second game 7-1.
Game one saw Goshen (17-16-1, 6-6 Crossroads League) storm out to an early lead with four runs in the bottom of the first inning, as Preston Carr, a senior, Vincent Caschera, a senior, Ryan Hartig, a junior, and Ben Longacre, a first-year, all scored in the early outburst.The Leafs added an insurance run in the second and again in the fourth. Siena (11-20) would be held off the scoreboard until they scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth and a run in the seventh, but Goshen would put the game away with three more runs in the sixth to grab a 9-3 victory.
Colby Malson, a first-year, was the Leafs’ starting pitcher and threw six innings with two runs against on six hits with a pair of strikeouts. Travis Grimm, a junior, finished the contest with a run against on two hits in an inning of work.
Caschera, Clinton Stroble II, a sophomore, and Connor Clemens, a sophomore, each drove in a team-high two runs in the win, with Hartig, Brad Stoltzfus, a junior, and Spenser Triplett, a first-year, all collecting an RBI. Carr scored a game-high three runs as Caschera added a pair of his own.
Siena’s Erich Klingelhofer got the start and allowed six runs on seven hits in four innings before turning the ball over to Landon Lumbrezer for the final two innings. Brenden Baker, Brendan Green and John Watts each drove in one of the Saints’ three runs in the loss.
The day’s second contest saw the offenses remain quiet until Siena struck for seven runs across a three inning span late in the game. A run in the fourth broke the deadlock before a four-run fifth inning and a pair of insurance runs in the sixth gave Siena a comfortable lead.
By the time Goshen was able to find the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, the Saints held a seven-run lead they wouldn’t relinquish as the Leafs fell 7-1.
Brad Lantz, a senior, got the start for the Leafs and allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits with three strikeouts in four innings of work. Kyle Kotecki, a sophomore, Seth Lapp, a senior, James Stricker, a sophomore, and Triplett all threw in relief for Goshen.
Stroble drove in Stotlzfus for the Leafs’ only run of the contest and equaled Caschera for the team-high in hits with identical 2 for 3 performances at the plate.
Robert Oliver III was the winning pitcher for Siena as he held Goshen scoreless on four hits in four innings with three strikeouts. Nic Olson and Tristan Roth came out of the bullpen for the Saints. Deric Cain collected a game-high two RBIs with Green, Carson Wlad and Alex Robbins scoring two runs apiece.
Goshen will be back in action on Friday afternoon when they host conference opponent Mount Vernon Nazarene University for the first of a three game weekend series with the Cougars. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 3 p.m.