(Game 1 Stats) (Game 2 Stats) Fort Wayne, IN — Needing to work on Sunday to get in a needed Mid-Central Conference match-up, the Goshen College baseball team made the most of a sloppy showdown at the University of St. Francis, splitting a double-header with the Cougars in a 2-1 win and a 0-5 loss.
After having its fifth game date cancelled or postponed in its last seven attempts — Goshen was slated to play at Marian College Saturday afternoon — the Leafs were forced to play in the aftermath of a winter storm Sunday afternoon, as the St. Francis field was wet and windy following a significant snowfall Saturday evening. Even with conditions less than favorable — temperatures hovered in the 40’s while a stiff wind blew straight into the ballpark — Goshen (8-26, 4-10) was able to grasp a tremendous, come-from-behind win in Game 1, using a pair of key hits and quality pitching to stump the hosts in a late-game rally.
Freshman Aaron Coy (3-3) pitched six full innings on the damp mound, eventually collecting the win after allowing just one run off of four hits on the day. St. Francis scored its lone run in the fourth inning, as a lead off walk from Coy — one of just three on the afternoon — proved costly. A sacrifice bunt and a single eventually scored the run, leaving Coy and teammates work to do in trailing 0-1.
That necessity came to fruition in the top of the sixth inning, where freshman Sean Sears had perhaps his biggest hit as a collegian. With runners on first and second and one out, Sears blasted a double that drove in junior Ian Swartz, tying the game and giving Goshen new life.
With freshman Matt Fyfe (2) poised to come into the game in relief, it was Coy that proved to be the difference offensively in the top of the seventh inning. A lead-off double from Coy would eventually decide the game, as a sacrifice bunt from freshman Zach Miller pushed Coy to third. After Goshen head coach Josh Keister elected to insert freshman Cal Schlabach as a pinch runner, junior Darren Tronovich promptly blasted a deep, sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Fyfe collected his second save of the season in retiring three of a total four St. Francis batters faced in the bottom of the stanza, surrendering only a walk to break up what otherwise would be a three up, three down performance.
“It was great for us to get two enormous, clutch hits from freshmen late in the first game,” Keister said. “It was also great for two freshmen to have such a great impact on the mound as well. I was excited and pleased to see the way these first-year players made such clutch contributions. It is not often that a team at our level can cite outstanding play from so many freshmen in one game. The way our young guys are starting to play makes things look good for the rest of this year and for the future.”
Utilizing a team made up primarily of freshmen — 12 of the Leafs’ 20 players are first-year athletes — Saturday’s Game 1 result was powered by youth. Sears finished 1-2 from the plate with an RBI, while Coy delivered the game’s only other double in a 1-3 performance. Zach Miller and Kraig Miller each singled, giving Keister four out of seven total hits by first-year players. Junior Mike Malott was Goshen’s only multi-hit player on the contest, going 2-3.
With an exciting Game 1 win in hand, Keister’s squad found the going far more difficult in the day’s second game. St. Francis’ Marc Gillig held Goshen to just a single hit, giving his teammates plenty of breathing room in the 5-0 win.
Senior Dann Hunt (2-5) suffered the pitching loss in the contest, going five full innings while allowing six runs — only four of which were earned. Hunt struck out five as well, but the Leafs’ defense gave up the first three scores in an unearned variety, putting Keister’s team behind the proverbial eight ball almost instantly. A one-run first inning and two-run fourth kept the sailing smooth for Gillig who, despite tossing a one-hitter, struck out just one Goshen batter on the afternoon.
“We gave them their first three runs which completely changed the entire complexion of the game,” Keister said. “We got only one hit but hit quite a few balls right on the button but they either hung up in the air or were right at infielders. Extremely tough playing conditions dictated most of the day for both teams. The field was extremely wet from snow Fort Wayne got overnight and a strong wind blew straight in all day. That certainly had an effect on things.”
Zach Miller registered Goshen’s only hit of the day, a single coming in the third inning. Miller also reached base after being hit by a pitch, accounting for two of only four times Goshen had a player safely reach base.
The Leafs’ aforementioned Marian contests were rescheduled for another yet another Sunday outing — April 22 — with a slight change coming to the squads’ original two-games-in-two-days versus Indiana Tech next week. Check Goshen’s schedule page for the most up-to-date game days and times information.
Goshen will next take a brief break from MCC competition, when the team hosts Purdue University North Central Tuesday afternoon in a double-header. Game time for the first of two is set for 2 p.m.
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Freshman Sean Sears