APR. 6 — Bats Erupt For 10-3 Win Over Siena Heights
Squad halts offensive difficulties with breakout performance of timely hits

Goshen, IN — There is an old adage in baseball that states it’s not how many hits one team compiles, but rather when it gets them.

Thursday against Siena Heights University, the Goshen College baseball team got hits at precisely the right times.

Putting up its second-highest scoring total of the season on just its 16th-highest hit total to date, the Leafs defeated the visiting Saints by a 10-3 score on a breezy afternoon at the Goshen College Baseball Complex. All of the Leafs’ runs were batted in, making head coach Josh Keister pleased with a promising, if not aesthetic, performance.

“It was nice to get a win even though it was not pretty,” Keister said. “We only had seven hits but we had enough in big situations to push some runs across.”

Goshen (10-23, 4-8) began its timely hitting from the outset, notching three runs in the first inning of play on just one hit. That series was triggered by a game-opening walk to sophomore Nate Montiel, followed by junior Nate Colclasure reaching base on an error from Siena Heights’ center fielder. A deep sacrifice fly from senior Ben Taylor scored one run after sophomore Mike Staehle was hit by a pitch, while a single from junior Brian Shelton drove in two.

Shelton was responsible for the Leafs’ next score — in the third inning — as the hefty designated hitter blasted his third homer of the season, giving Goshen a 4-0 lead after three innings of play.

Siena Heights — which used an incredible seven pitchers in the day’s contest — made things interesting following its half of the fourth and fifth innings, scoring its three runs in that stretch. The Saints’ push at a comeback was halted by strong Leaf offensive efforts in the bottom half of the sixth and seventh innings, however, as the squad pushed across its final six scores. Freshman Kyle Shaffer, in a sixth-inning pinch-hit situation, came up with just his third hit of the year, driving in two runs to give Goshen more breathing room.

Keister received a strong at-bat from another freshman in the seventh, as first-year Ian Swartz registered a two-RBI single to make it a 10-2 contest.

Shelton led the way offensively, going 2-3 from the plate while driving in a game-high three runs, scoring three times as well. Montiel finished 1-2 with a pair of runs scored, while Swartz finished 1-3 with two RBI. Shaffer singled in his only at bat in driving in two runs as well. Staehle, Taylor and senior Greg Koop all drove in a run, while freshman Kyle Koch finished 1-4 at the plate while producing his fourth double of the season. On the afternoon, Goshen was able to overcome a total five errors in the field for the win.

Senior Dan Fensler (1-5) went seven full innings on the mound for Goshen, picking up his first win of the year while striking out three and walking just one Siena Heights batter. Shelton finished the contest, tossing one inning of work and striking out one.

Goshen will return to Mid-Central Conference play on Saturday, when the team will travel to Indiana Wesleyan University for a double-header. Game time for the first of two is set for 1 p.m.