The Goshen College baseball team extended its winning streak to 12 games before seeing it come to an abrupt end on Tuesday in an afternoon doubleheader with Spring Arbor University. The Leafs won the day’s opening game 3-0 before falling 16-3 in game two.
The opener saw Goshen (13-9, 4-1 Crossroads League) take an early lead on a two-run home run from Vincent Caschera, a senior, in the first inning. Spring Arbor (8-13, 1-1) was unable to muster any offense as the Leafs tacked on an insurance run in the sixth.Colby Malson, a first-year, got the start for the Leafs and pitched six shutout innings, allowing five hits and striking out five Cougars. Caschera led Goshen’s offense with two of the Leafs’ three RBIs while Cody McCoy, a junior, drove in the team’s third run.
Caschera, Preston Carr, a senior, and Quinlan Armstrong, a first-year, each scored a run apiece for the Leafs. McCoy and Ryan Hartig, a junior, each collected a team-high two hits on identical two for two performances at the plate.
Spring Arbor’s Duncan Patterson went the distance on the mound for the Cougars, allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Tyler Reed and James Hall each had two of Spring Arbor’s five hits.
While field conditions at SAU’s Burbridge Field caused the games to be moved to Goshen, the Cougars remained the home team for purposes of conference scheduling. This allowed Goshen to strike for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning in game two, but the Cougars pounced for seven runs within the first two innings.
Spring Arbor continued the offensive outburst with six runs in the fourth and three more in the sixth. The Leafs were able to get a run back in the fifth inning but Spring Arbor took the contest 16-3. Goshen committed four errors and left 11 runners on base in the loss.
Brad Lantz, a senior, Kyle Kotecki, a sophomore, and Colton Daniel, a first-year, all threw in the nightcap for GC. Hartig, Armstrong and Clinton Stroble II, a sophomore, drove in runs, with Brad Stoltzfus scoring twice and Connor Clemens crossing home plate once. Hartig, Armstrong, Stroble, Carr and Caschera each recorded hits.
Andrew Manier was the winning pitcher for the Cougars, throwing five innings and allowing a single earned run among three runs total on five hits with six punchouts. Nick Carroll pitched the final two innings in relief, striking out four.
Ondina led the Cougar attack with three RBIs, as Jack Driscoll, Kyle Harris and Conner Lengerich all knocking in two runs each. Holley and Chris Triplett tied for the team-high in runs scored with three.
Goshen hosted Calumet College of St. Joseph in a doubleheader on Wednesday but the games were completed after print deadline. The Leafs will be back in action on Friday when they play the first game of a three game weekend set at Marian University in Indianapolis. First pitch for Friday is scheduled for 4 p.m.