KOKOMO, Ind. – Ryan Hartig, a senior, slashed seven hits to propel the Goshen College baseball team to two victories in three tries over Cleary University this past Saturday and Sunday at Northwestern High School.

Game one kicked off the weekend series with first pitch at 1 p.m. Goshen (7-9) jumped out in front early, taking a 1-0 lead on a single that scored courtesy runner Bobby Garcia, a first-year, with two outs in the bottom of the first inning. Cleary was able to take the lead right back an inning later with a double in the top of the second inning to score two. In the bottom of the inning, Goshen scored the equalizer with a sacrifice fly from Cody McCoy, a senior, to tie it up at two.

Goshen starting pitcher Braedon Evans, a sophomore, was able to retire 12 of the next 13 batters he faced, allowing Goshen time to find their offense. In the fourth inning, the Maple Leafs were able to add another run to put them on top 3-2 with a leadoff walk by Brad Stoltzfus, a senior, and hits from Ben Longacre, a sophomore, and Clinton Stroble, a junior. Cleary then knotted things up once again in the sixth inning before a triple play commenced by first baseman, Stoltzfus, halted Cleary’s scoring to send the game to extra innings.

Goshen then called upon relief pitcher Colton Daniel, a sophomore, in the eighth inning whom allowed only one hit in two innings of work. Daniel’s prowess on the mound allowed for Colby Malson, a sophomore, to be the hero of the game with a walk-off single in the ninth to secure a 4-3 victory for the Leafs.

In game number two Goshen jumped out in front early. Stoltzfus and Longacre got the inning started with a pair of base hits. After a wild pitch, each runner advanced a base and later scored that inning by way of a Hartig single to put the Maple Leafs up 2-0.

In the fourth inning, Cleary tied the game up at two a piece after a two-run single. After that, Cleary was unable to keep their offense rolling, registering only one hit on Goshen’s starting pitcher Travis Grimm, a senior, the rest of the way. Grimm tossed six innings of the seven-inning affair, allowing just three hits and two earned runs before handing the ball off to team’s closer Malson to secure the 4-2 win.

Sunday’s game between the now familiar foes remained scoreless until a fourth-inning leadoff double followed by an infield single put Cleary on top 1-0. This was seemingly all Cleary needed as Goshen was only able to put together three hits through seven innings of play, scoring just one run in nine innings to drop 3-1.