The Goshen College softball team hosted conference opponent Huntington University for an afternoon doubleheader on Tuesday, with the Leafs falling to the Foresters 6-4 and 5-1.
Goshen opened the scoring with a run in the first inning and held a 3-2 lead heading into the fourth but the Foresters quickly responded, scoring 3 runs in the fourth to take a lead they wouldn’t surrender the rest of the way. Goshen managed to come within a run of Huntington in the bottom of the fourth but the Foresters added an insurance run in the seventh to secure a 6-4 victory.Alexis Carpenter, a junior, got the start for the Leafs and went three innings before Brooke Maes, a junior, pitched the final four innings in relief. Each pitcher allowed only one earned run apiece as a trio of errors cost Goshen. Candace Sutter, a junior, Sydney Stein, a sophomore, and Taylor Sutliff, a sophomore, each collected one of the Leafs’ three RBIs. Sutter, Carpenter, Courtney Crapser, a sophomore, and Krista Sutliff, a senior, all scored a run in the loss.
In game two, the Leafs got on the board first when Emily Namisnak, a sophomore, homered in the first inning to give Goshen a 1-0 lead. That lead disappeared in the third inning when Huntington struck for three runs to take a 3-1 edge before adding a pair of runs in the fifth inning. The Leafs wouldn’t have a runner cross home plate again after Namisnak’s long ball as the Foresters shut down Goshen’s offense.
Carpenter again got the start and went 4 innings before Maes came in to finish the final three innings of work. Sutter and Taylor Sutliff led Goshen in hits with identical 2 for 3 performances at the plate.
With the losses, Goshen’s record falls to 6-12, 3-9 Crossroads League, on the season. The Leafs will be back in action on Friday when they travel to Marion, Indiana to play conference opponent Indiana Wesleyan for a doubleheader. First-pitch in game one is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
