(Game 1 Stats) (Game 2 Stats) New Albany, IN — Traveling to face Indiana University-Southeast on the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, the Goshen College baseball team found luck hard to come by.
Perhaps it was because green is not in the school colors.
Goshen (3-12, 0-0) turned in a solid hitting performance in the day’s first contest and a brilliant pitching display in the second, only for each factor to stand alone: Goshen dropped a 7-15 decision in Game 1, followed by a heartbreaking, 2-4 loss in the second game.
Ultimately, it was another case of sporadic play from the Leafs, who dropped their fourth and fifth consecutive games with the defeats.
“We were able to generate some runs in the first game but we pitched poorly,” said Josh Keister, Goshen head coach. “In the second game it was nearly the exact opposite. We are getting close to putting all aspects of the game together at once but we haven't quite done it yet.”
Goshen began the day with some tough luck on the mound, as sophomore Aaron Keister (0-4) barely had enough time to get a sweat going in starting Game 1. I.U.-Southeast came out of the gates with a fury, belting Keister for nine runs off of five hits in just an inning and a third of work, forcing Coach Keister to turn to the bullpen. Freshman Shane Kurtz would go an additional three innings while giving up six runs off of four hits, while sophomore Brad Elam concluded the game with one and two thirds innings pitched.
With the host Grenadiers scoring 11 runs in the first two innings of work, it was a severely uphill battle for Goshen. Freshman Zach Miller (2-3) and junior Mike Malott (2-4) provided multiple-hit performances, while freshman Aaron Coy drove in a pair of runs. Malott, Miller, sophomore Kyle Koch, freshman Dustin Swartzel and junior Darren Tronovich each drove in one RBI, while the Leafs made the most of their seven total hits in the contest.
With Goshen giving up a slew of runs early, senior Dann Hunt made certain it would not be a double feature for I.U.-Southeast. Starting on the mound in Saturday’s second contest, Hunt was completely dominant, pitching five complete innings while giving up just three hits and striking out 11. Only 11 Grenadiers reached base during Hunt’s tenure on the hill, while Goshen tacked on runs in the first and fifth inning. Senior Nate Colclasure drove in Malott after a lead-off single to open the contest, while a double from Malott drove in Koch in the fifth.
With the game seemingly in control, Hunt’s day concluded after his brilliant five innings of work. With freshman Aaron Coy (1-2) called upon, I.U.-Southeast got hot at the right time:
The Grenadiers recorded four runs in the sixth inning, all before Coy could register his first out.
Keister brought in freshman Kraig Miller, who effectively stopped the bleeding by forcing a pair of fly outs and an impressive double-up on a Grenadier base runner.
Now trailing by a 4-2 score, however, the psychological damage had been done. Goshen did get a pair of runners on base in the top of the seventh, but could not bring in the necessary scores.
“Dann Hunt really gave us a great performance throwing five shutout innings with 11 strikeouts,” Keister said. “He left with a 2-0 lead but we could not hold it.”
Malott was again stellar at the plate, going 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Swartzel was 1-3, as was Zach Miller. Colclasure finished 1-3 as well, with an RBI and a run scored.
Goshen will next travel to NCAA Division I Indiana University Purdue University-Fort Wayne on Tuesday. Game time for a single, nine-inning contest is set for 3 p.m.
|
Senior Dann Hunt