MAR. 28 — Streak Ends Behind Keister's No-No At Judson
Leafs finally rewarded for efforts in 6-0 no-hitter; nine-game losing skid halts

Elgin, IL — For most collegiate head baseball coaches, the recruiting search for pitchers capable of throwing no-hitters is vast.

For Goshen head coach Josh Keister, he needed to look no further than in his parents’ house.

Freshman Aaron Keister — younger brother of the Leafs’ head coach — tossed his first career no-hitter at Judson College Tuesday night, helping Goshen break out of a nine-game losing skid in the process with a 6-0 win over the Eagles. The no-hitter was Keister’s first such performance at a highly competitive level (he did not record any while pitching at nearby Goshen High School) and could not have come at a better time: Seven of the Leafs’ last nine losses were decided by 1.6 runs per game, while two ended with game-tying base runners being thrown out at the plate.

For the elder Keister, getting a win was of utmost importance.

“It is a big relief to finally get a win,” Keister said. “During our losing streak we had been close enough to win in every game but a couple. We are certainly a better team that our record indicates, but we need to keep improving every time we play so we can be peaking by the end of the year.”

Goshen (7-19, 2-8) did not get off to a good start against the Eagles in Tuesday’s first contest, dropping a 2-8 decision for the team’s ninth straight defeat. Junior Dann Hunt (2-5) was burdened with the loss on the mound, pitching just one and one-third innings before being pulled in favor of freshman Ian Swartz. Despite the short stint on the hill, the damage had been done: Judson recorded seven runs in the first two innings of play, making a comeback difficult for Goshen.

The Leafs’ lone offensive output came in the top of the fourth inning, where a single from sophomore Mike Staehle started things off. An Eagle wild pitch and error gave Goshen two more base runners, while junior Nate Colclasure’s single plated Staehle’s initial hit. A follow-up single by freshman Kyle Koch scored another run, but a pair of fly outs ended the inning with two base runners left on.

After giving up 13 hits to the Eagles in the first contest and only registering three of its own, things took a dramatic upward swing for Goshen in Game Two. Aaron Keister (2-2) had his best stuff going on the mound from the outset, settling down after a pair of first-inning walks to retire the next seven Eagle batters. That start gave the Leafs’ enough time to put together a solid third and fourth inning offensively, registering four runs to give their pitcher even more confidence.

When it was over, Keister went the distance, striking out six and walking five. He forced nine fly outs and five ground outs, but had help from his defense on several occasions according to his coach and older brother.

“Aaron obviously pitched well since he threw a no-hitter but Judson did hit several balls hard that our outfielders tracked down nicely,” Josh Keister said. “The no hitter was definitely a team effort.”

Aaron Keister received support at the plate from a variety of teammates, as sophomore Chris Hostetler finished 2-2 on the game with an RBI and a run scored. Colclasure knocked in a run off a double, while sophomore Nate Montiel was 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored as well. Staehle recorded a sacrifice RBI while scoring a run, while seniors Greg Koop and Ben Taylor each knocked in a score on a 1-3 effort. Koop scored twice himself. Junior Brian Shelton pushed a run across going 1-4 at the plate.

Goshen will continue its road swing on Thursday, when the team will travel to Olivet Nazarene University for a pair of seven-inning contests. The first game is slated to begin at 1 p.m.