Alexis Carpenter, a junior, delivered nearly five innings of no-hit softball for Goshen College before
Marian University scored the game’s only run in game two of the Leafs’ afternoon set with the hosting Knights. The Leafs dropped game one 9-1 before falling 1-0 in the day’s final contest.Goshen (7-15, 4-12 Crossroads League) saw fourth ranked Marian (25-1, 16-0) break the game open in a seven-run second inning before the Knights added a pair of insurance runs in the fourth.
The Leafs scored their lone run of the day in the fifth inning when Allison White, a first-year, scored on a wild pitch.
Carpenter got the start in game one before Brooke Maes, a junior, and Leah Horner, a first-year, threw nearly two innings and an inning in relief. Maes and White each collected one of Goshen’s two hits in the contest.
Three different Knights combined to throw a two-hitter as Breena Smith drew the start, going three innings before Cassie Perry and Courtney Best each worked an inning out of the bullpen.
Riley Cripe led the Knights’ offense with three RBIs on a perfect three for three performance at the plate. Carly Greene drove in two runs with Logan Personett, Erica Miller, Darrien Garrigus and Sam Pash all collecting an RBI apiece. Nine different Knights scored a run in the victory.
The day’s final game was a much different story as the offensive outburst of game one turned into a pitcher’s duel. Each team’s pitcher allowed only three hits, and a lone run separated the Knights and the Leafs in the end.
Carpenter kept the Knights out of the hit column until Hannah Williams singled to left field with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Three batters later, following a walk and a hit batter, Greene singled to drive in Williams for the game’s only run.
Krista Sutliff, a senior, singled to lead off the top of the sixth but a strikeout and a double play brought an end to the Leafs’ rally.
Carpenter took the loss with a single run allowed on three hits and two strikeouts in six innings. Courtney Crapser, a sophomore, had two of Goshen’s three hits with Sutliff collecting the final hit.
Grace Lumpkin was the winning pitcher with three hits and no runs allowed in the complete game shutout, with four strikeouts.
Goshen will be back on the field Friday when they travel to Marion, Indiana to play conference opponent Indiana Wesleyan University for an afternoon doubleheader. First pitch in game one is scheduled for 3 p.m.