(Game 1 Box) (Game 2 Box) PULASKI, Tenn. – The Goshen College baseball team was at a little bit of a disadvantage in their first games of the 2008 season last weekend. Having not stepped on a baseball field since the fall, the Maple Leafs lost a two-game set against Martin Methodist College – who already had nine games under their belts – on Saturday in Tennessee.
Goshen had become all too familiar with the indoor confines of the Roman Gingerich Rec-Fitness Center, while their competition came in at 4-5, including a four-game sweep of NAIA #14 Lindenwood University. Despite the circumstances, the Maple Leafs displayed some offensive spark and grit as they eventually fell by scores of 13-10 and 7-5. A double-header scheduled for Sunday was cancelled due to poor weather.
The Maple Leafs wasted little time scoring their first runs of the season as sophomore Kraig Miller blasted a two-out, two-run homer in the first inning of game one to give Goshen the quick 2-0 lead. The Maple Leafs would show some on-the-field rust in the bottom half of the inning giving the two runs back on an error and a pair of wild pitches.
In the top of the second, Goshen busted out for six more runs as they capitalized on two walks, two hit batters, and two errors. In the middle of all the free passes, Kraig Miller knocked home another run on a RBI single and Darren Tronovich ripped an RBI double.
After giving up a pair in the bottom of the second to make it 8-4, Goshen tacked on another pair in the third as Mike Malott doubled and eventually scored on a balk and Ian Swartz blasted a solo home run.
Martin Methodist rallied for one in the third, two in the fourth, and one in the fifth before Cliff Panezich tied the game with a two-run shot in the sixth. The Red Hawks would pull away with three more runs in the sixth and hold on for the 13-10 win.
The middle of the Goshen lineup (Swartz, Miller, Tronovich) accounted for six of the team's seven hits in the opener.
In game two, Martin Methodist's Andrew Bradley shut the Maple Leafs down for the first four innings, while the Red Hawks got to Shane Kurtz early, scoring a pair off four straight singles to lead off the first inning.
Kurtz settled down and left the game after giving up six earned in three and two-thirds innings pitched. Down 7-0 in the fifth, the Maple Leafs started to rally.
After a walk by Sean Sears, Tom McDowell knocked a RBI triple and eventually scored on an error by the second baseman. An inning later, Adam Zehr doubled and Swartz singled setting the plate for Miller. Miller ripped a three-run homer, his second of the day, to pull Goshen within 7-5.
It was too little too late for the Maple Leafs as they were handed their second loss of the young season. Miller finished the day 3-for-7 with two homers and six RBI, while Ian Swartz was 4-for-7 (.571 avg.) with a pair of RBIs and three runs scored.
For the Goshen pitching staff, Aaron Coy – the game one starter – gave up four earned over three and a third. Junior Brad Elam appeared in both games out of the bullpen pitching one and two-thirds of scoreless ball, while Miller came on in game two to pitch a scoreless sixth inning.
Goshen will take this week to rest before heading to Florida for an eight-game road trip. |
Sophomore Kraig Miller