(Game 1 Stats) (Game 2 Stats) Huntington, IN — It was another case of a close call for the Goshen College baseball team Tuesday afternoon at Mid-Central Conference rival Huntington University, as the Leafs dropped a 4-5 initial game before falling by a 1-11 score in the day’s second contest.
A late Game 1 rally from Goshen (7-25, 3-9) was spoiled by a one-run, bottom of the sixth from the host Foresters, pushing the Leafs’ current losing skid to five straight and keeping head coach Josh Keister mere inches away from tasting success.
“We continue to be competitive without getting wins to show for it,” Keister said following Tuesday’s contests. “We definitely feel that we should be 2-2 this week instead of 0-4 (Goshen dropped a pair of MCC contests to Indiana Wesleyan University on Monday, click here for related article). As we continue to mature with a young team, hopefully these near misses will become wins.”
The Leafs’ youthfulness was apparent in Tuesday’s Game 1 loss, appearing in the form of errors — the team had three — a primary reason for the defeat. Freshman Matt Fyfe (0-4) put forth a solid, complete-game effort on the mound, giving up just two earned runs of the Foresters’ total five scores. While Fyfe did walk five batters, a pair of bases on balls proved costly in the bottom of the sixth. With the score tied at 4-4, Fyfe allowed a pair of walks in between a ground out and a strikeout. Huntington’s next batter looked to fly out to retire the inning, but a Leafs’ fielding error allowed a run to score, effectively ending the game’s scoring.
Goshen responded to three Huntington runs in the second and one in the third with a pair of two-run stanzas, both coming off of solid, team plate work. Junior Ian Swartz was hit by a pitch to drive in the Leafs’ first run in the third inning, while freshman Kraig Miller took a walk to force in the second score. In the fifth, a single from Kraig Miller drove in two runs, tying the score at 4-4 and giving Goshen new life.
After the Foresters’ key score in their half of the sixth, however, Goshen could not respond. The Leafs were able to put two on board in the seventh inning, but a pair of groundout fielder’s choices concluded the game.
Kraig Miller led the way offensively, going 1-2 from the plate with three RBI to his credit. Ian Swartz and junior Darren Tronovich each finished with one hit and one run scored.
“I thought we had a really good chance at winning Game 1 but we made a critical error late and a couple early that turned out to be critical in the end,” Keister said. “Matt Fyfe pitched a great game other than a few costly walks.”
Perhaps deflated by the bitter defeat, Goshen could only muster three total hits in its 1-11 loss in the day’s second contest. Freshman Aaron Coy (2-3) suffered the pitching loss, going just two innings while giving up seven runs on eight hits. Sophomore Brad Elam and freshman Caleb Kitchell came on in relief, splitting the remaining four runs in two innings and two-thirds of an inning of work, respectively.
Goshen scored its lone run in the second inning, when Tronovich singled to drive in freshman Sean Sears, who originally reached on a walk. Ian Swartz and Sears registered the Leafs’ only other hits on the game, both singles.
Goshen will next travel to the University of St. Francis on Sunday, after a pair of game dates were cancelled or postponed due to inclement weather. The Leafs will take on the Cougars in a double-header slated to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday.
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Freshman Matt Fyfe