APR. 26 — Leafs Stay Hot, Win Another Comeback Affair
Concordia controls game but not eighth inning; Goshen wins 8-7 again

Goshen, IN — Perhaps Saturday’s win over Mid-Central Conference foe Marian College did more for the Goshen College baseball team than simply clinching an MCC Tournament berth (click here for article).

Apparently, it gave the team a newfound shot of confidence.

In the days since a come-from-behind, 10-9 win over the Knights pushed the Leafs into the post-season, Goshen has mimicked that storyline twice, defeating Tri-State University by an 8-7 score Monday afternoon and — most recently — handing visiting Concordia University an 8-7 loss Wednesday afternoon at the Goshen College Baseball Complex. In both nine-inning games, Goshen trailed by as many as four runs. In both, the team used late-game heroics to steal victories.

“Our bats have really come alive lately and that is a good sign heading into our conference tournament next Wednesday,” said Josh Keister, Goshen head coach. “We have several regular-season games left before then, so hopefully we will keep building on things.”

What Goshen (15-32, 7-13) has built since its all-important Saturday win over Marian is the team’s third three-game win streak of the season, a mark that has yet to be improved on. With the way the Leafs are playing now, however, anything seems possible.

Wednesday’s game against Concordia started in similar fashion to Goshen’s last two contests, with the Leafs giving up a large, early lead to its opponent. The visiting Cardinals rattled off four runs in the top of the first inning to set the tone, though Keister’s squad again did not panic.

A two-run second inning and a one-run third put the Leafs right back in contention, as Concordia watched its lead dissipate to just a 4-3 count. That margin was bolstered by a three-run fifth inning for the Cardinals, however, as four singles and a double spelled the end of the day for senior Dan Fensler on the mound for Goshen. Classmate Dann Hunt recorded the final out of the side in replacement duty, but the Cardinals had rebuilt a 7-3 lead.

Again, Keister’s team showed remarkable patience and consistency, trading scoreless halves until the eighth inning. It was at that point that Goshen combined some timely hitting and smart base running to take advantage of Concordia mistakes.

A lead-off double from senior Greg Koop got things rolling for the squad, as freshman Kyle Shaffer followed with a walk. A single from freshman Ian Swartz came next, and with the bases loaded Keister called upon senior Ben Taylor — sitting idle on the bench for the afternoon — to pinch hit. Taylor was promptly plunked in his at bat, scoring a run and keeping the bags juiced. A follow-up walk to sophomore Alex Childers scored another run for Goshen, while a deep fly ball from freshman Kyle Koch drove another run across the plate. A single from Nate Colclasure ended the scoring in the inning — it drove in sophomore Mike Staehle who reached on a fielder’s choice — but ended in Colclasure trying to make it home after a series of throws and an error gave him a shot at touching them all.

Freshman Aaron Keister (5-6) was credited for the win on the mound, as the southpaw took over in the seventh inning and lasted two full stanzas. Senior Brian Shelton (2) collected his second save of the season in throwing the ninth inning, forcing a pair of fly outs and a ground out to keep Goshen’s one-run lead safely in hand.

Colclasure led Goshen at the plate, going 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Koop’s double finished off a 1-3 day at the plate, while Swartz finished 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Shaffer finished 1-2 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI. Taylor, in just one plate appearance, was credited with an RBI after being hit by a pitch.

“It hasn’t been a great year for us so far but it would be worth it if we stay hot and make a run deep into the post-season,” Keister said.

His team will next get a significant test of its current momentum, as the Leafs will travel to NCAA Division I Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne tomorrow. A single, nine-inning contest is slated to begin at 3 p.m.