LAKELAND, Fla. – With snow continuing to fall in a long winter back home in Northern Indiana, the Goshen College baseball team began their Florida spring break trip in Florida this week.
The Maple Leafs – with just two games under their belts heading into the trip – faced off against four teams in three days in a total of five contests. Their competition was well into their respective seasons in warm, sunny Florida, averaging 15 games played going into the contests with Goshen.
Managing to ignore the circumstances, the Maple Leafs picked up a 13-9 win over Southeastern University and lost a pair of 8-9 decisions over NCAA DII Eckerd College and historic NAIA power Webber International.
Goshen 0, Webber International 8 (Feb. 25th)
Box Score
Sophomore right-hander Aaron Coy gave up five hits and struck out four, but the Maple Leaf offense struggled to get going and tallied just two hits as they were shutout in the series opener.
Goshen 8, Webber International 9 (Feb. 25th)
Box Score
After a shaking first inning that saw the Maple Leafs go down 4-0, Goshen responded with a five-run second inning. The Maple Leafs capitalized on a pair of walks and two Warrior errors as Mike Malott drove home a run with a single.
Goshen then took a 7-5 advantage in the top of the fourth inning with some solid base running. Malott walked, stole second, and then would eventually score on a wild pitch. Senior Ian Swartz would follow suit, stealing second after his own walk. After advancing to third on a Kraig Miller single, Swartz would score on another Warrior error.
Webber International would retake the lead in the bottom of the fourth as they banged out five hits for three runs.
In the top of the seventh, Darren Tronovich singled, Cal Schhlaback pinch ran and stole second – Goshen's fourth stolen base of the day. He would score on a RBI single by Coy to tie the game at 8-8, but the Warriors would rally in the bottom of the seventh for the win.
Goshen 13, Southeastern 9 (Feb. 26th)
Box Score
Right-fielder Ian Swartz went 4-for-5 with three runs and three knocked in as the Maple Leafs busted out for their first win of the young season.
Goshen wasted little time getting on the board as a two-run double by Swartz and a two RBI single by senior Tom McDowell helped the Maple Leafs take a 5-0 lead in the first. Southeastern responded with two in the first and four in the second to put them up 6-5.
The Maple Leaf base running again caused problems for the opposition as they scored five runs in the fourth off four hits and a pair of errors. The inning saw Goshen steal two more bases and force the Fire into errors in first-and-third situations.
Goshen would add three more runs in the sixth and eventually hold on for the 13-9 win. Greg Meyer went 2-for-3 with three runs, while Brad Elam gave up just two runs on four hits in three and two-thirds innings of relief for the win.
Goshen 2, Warner Southern 6 (Feb. 26th)
Box Score
In his first collegiate action on the mound, righty Zach Reed scattered six hits, giving up three runs over four innings of work, but the Maple Leafs offense went silent with just two hits in the loss.
Goshen's two runs came in the top of the second as they took advantage of a pair of errors after Tronovich led the inning off with a single. Malott had the only other Maple Leaf hit in the game.
Goshen 8, Eckerd College 9 (Feb. 27th)
Box Score
Trailing 7-1 in the seventh, the Maple Leafs rallied furiously to get back in the game. Malott and Swartz walked before back-to-back singles by Tronovich and Meyer brought in the first run. Sophomore Zach Miller drove in the next run on a sacrifice fly to bring Goshen within 7-3.
After giving Eckerd two back in the bottom of the seventh, the Maple Leafs rallied for five runs in the top of the eighth. Three Goshen batters would be hit by pitches in the inning before Malott and Swartz singled home runs. After two more runs scored on wild pitches, McDowell cracked a double bringing home what would have been the tying run, except for being called out for missing third base and ending Goshen's rally.
Freshman Sean Doering led the Maple Leafs with a 3-for-4 day, while McDowell, Swartz and Tronovich chipped in two hits each.
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Senior Ian Swartz