MAY 2-3 — Leafs' Season Concludes In Conference Tournament
Goshen wins two games, but loses two in being eliminated from postseason play

Fantastic Frosh: Freshman ace Rachel Solmos went 2-1 in MCC Tournament play, finishing off a stellar rookie season pitching. On the year, Solmos boasted a win-loss record of 12-5, had an ERA of 2.45 and allowed only 116 hits in 117.1 innings of work.

Marion, IN — After a season that saw the Goshen College softball team struggle and then come back to play extremely well, the Leafs were defeated in Mid-Central Conference Tournament in the third round of the losers bracket, ending the team’s season on Friday. The fifth-seeded Leafs first defeated St. Francis by a 5-2 count on Thursday, but then lost to top-seeded Bethel by a 7-8 score. After beating seventh-seeded Grace 11-2 in the second round of the loser’s bracket, a 1-4 loss to Indiana Wesleyan sealed the deal for the Leafs in the double-elimination tournament.

Goshen ends the 2002 campaign with an overall record of 23-15 and a conference tally of 7-7, one year after winning the regular-season MCC crown and advancing to regional competition after taking second place in the 2001 MCC Tournament.

“When you set some goals and you don’t attain them it is somewhat disappointing,” said Goshen head coach Dawn Austin, following the season-ending defeat to the Wildcats. “But if you look at where we’ve come from and where these seniors have taken the program since their freshman year, you have to have some pride.”

Pride may have been what got Goshen its first win in this year’s tourney against St. Francis. After dropping both regular season games to the Cougars, Goshen came back from a 1-2 deficit in the sixth inning to score four runs and advance. That inning got started when senior catcher Krysten Parson knocked out her first homer of the year, a solo shot to right field. Sophomore Tera Franklin and junior Michelle Wade each singled to follow the round-tripper, and after Franklin scored on an error, senior Candy Feare blasted a home run to knock in Wade and herself.

Freshman Rachel Solmos was dynamite from the pitching circle, going the distance while giving up only four hits to the Cougars, while neither run was earned.

“That was an important game for our confidence because not only did we come back, but we had been beaten by them twice before,” Austin said. “Rachel threw a very smart game, and kept their big hitters down.”

The win pitted Goshen against the #1 seed Bethel, another team that the Leafs had lost to twice prior. Goshen got on the board early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Goshen would only add to that run total, pushing four runs across in the fourth inning against the MCC Pitcher of The Year in Mandy King. That scoring onslaught began when senior Heidi Collins homered, followed by singles from senior Brenda Gaerte and freshmen Tanya Ash and Tara Haynes. Gaerte and Ash both scored on errors, while Haynes was knocked in by a sacrifice fly from Parson.

“We felt very comfortable after getting four runs off a very good pitcher, but the fear with Bethel is that they have so many big hitters,” Austin said.

Her fears were well-founded. In the top of the fifth, Bethel nearly tied the game. Big hitting put the Pilots right back in the mix, but they still trailed 5-6. It was the top of the sixth inning, however, that Goshen struggled. With two outs and no runs given up, Goshen saw the bases become loaded. After junior Stephanie Sidener fielded a ground ball, she attempted to throw home for a force out. Her throw was high, however, and it pulled Parson off the plate. Instead of getting out of the inning with the third out, the Leafs faced the bases loaded again with the game tied at six. A following single drove in two more runs, and Bethel had a two-run lead.

The Leafs had one more chance, and nearly capitalized. In the bottom of the seventh, with two outs and a runner on second, Collins singled, knocking in a run. After Collins advanced to second, Sidener popped up to first base, ending the game. Sophomore Amy Lewis took the loss in the pitching circle.

“They put some runners on in those two innings and we had our opportunity to get out of it,” said Austin. “Once they scored, we couldn’t find a way to stop the flood gates. Once a team like that gets going it’s tough to stop.”

Dropping to the loser’s bracket, Goshen hammered Grace by an 11-2 score in five innings. Solmos was credited with the win while only giving up four hits in five innings of work. Wade led the charge offensively, going 2-4 from the plate with 3 RBI.

Against Wesleyan, the Leafs could just not get the bats working. Goshen’s lone hit of the morning came when Sidener tripled in the second inning, knocking in a runner who had reached base due to an error. While Solmos gave up only four runs — only one of which was earned — and seven hits to the Wildcats in seven full innings, the offense could just not produce.

“We didn’t hit at all, and you’re not going to win a tournament game on one hit, or at least you shouldn’t,” Austin said. “Rachel did a good job, but we made three errors and it cost us three unearned runs. If you’re not going to hit you can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

Following the tournament, three of Goshen’s seniors were honored with All-MCC status, as Parson, Feare and Collins all were selected. Parson and Feare were also selected as All-Region XVIII performers, marking the third year that Parson has collected the two honors and the second year Feare had. Collins was an all-region player last season, and this year’s all-conference selection marked her second award.

“These seniors have really turned this program around,” Austin said. “They should look back at their careers here and be proud of the fact that they have made us a winner in a lot of ways.”

Goshen finishes the year with the second-highest win total in school history, second only to the 24-win season that occurred last year. That milestone was nearly eclipsed by this year’s version, despite a stretch where the team lost 10 of 12 consecutive games. For a complete list of this year’s MCC Tournament pairings and results, click here.

APR. 29 — Goshen Gets Back To Winning Ways At Olivet
Leafs start to play well when it matters most; conference tournament begins Thursday

Junior Michelle Wade Senior Candy Feare

Olivet, MI — Goshen did not just end its collective slump with two wins on Monday at Olivet College, but rather, the team shattered it. Winning games by scores of 6-1 and 11-3 may have swung the pendulum back to the type of play that won the Leafs the Mid-Central Collegiate Conference title last season. Prior to Monday, the team had lost 10 of its last 12 games. Now, Goshen head coach Dawn Austin has a newfound confidence heading into conference tournament play.

“I sure wouldn’t want to go against our bats right now,” Austin said, eluding to the MCC tournament which begins Thursday at Indiana Wesleyan. “I think that we’ve had a little time off, second semester classes are over and there’s a load off of the girls’ shoulders. I knew that our bats would come to life, because everyone’s capable.”

On Monday, nearly everyone on the roster contributed, as the Leafs (21-13, 7-7) relied on both offense and defense to collect two wins. In the first game, freshman pitcher Rachel Solmos was on fire, striking out seven batters while walking only two. Solmos gave up just four hits in seven full innings of work, and while Olivet did score a run, it was unearned.

Goshen jumped on the Comets with offense as well, scoring two runs in the top of the first and four runs in the top of the fifth — all with two outs. Sophomore Tera Franklin went 1-4 in the first game with 3 RBI and a stolen base, while senior Candy Feare was 1-3 with 2 RBI.

Game 2 was an amazing display of offense from the Goshen squad, which generated a ridiculous 17 hits in only six innings of work. Seniors Krysten Parson, Brenda Gaerte and Feare, junior Stephanie Sidener, sophomore Franklin and freshman Tanya Ash all had two hits apiece, while junior Michelle Wade cranked out three hits. Wade also knocked in 2 RBI off of a double, as did Haynes. Parson knocked in a run off of a triple, while Feare pushed in a run off of a single. Sophomore Amy Lewis was credited for the Game 2 win in the pitching circle, as she went the distance without issuing a walk. The second game was called after six innings due to the eight-run rule.

“Our pitchers had good outings and our defense was fairly good for the most part,” Austin said. “It didn’t hurt to get a little bit of confidence back.”

Goshen now travels to Indiana Wesleyan as the fifth seed in this year’s MCC tournament. The double elimination tournament pits the Leafs against fourth-seeded St. Francis in the first game, taking place at 12 p.m. Thursday on Field #1. St. Francis defeated Goshen twice in conference play earlier this season, winning 7-4 and 9-8 decisions in Fort Wayne. In those two losses, the Leafs were without starting third baseman Feare, who was out with an injury.

The conference tournament will continue with games being played all day Thursday and Friday. The rain make-up date is slated for Saturday. For a full listing of the conference tournament schedule, click here.

APR. 24 — Goshen Splits With Grace On Senior Day
Leafs drill Lancers in first game; rain inhibits late rally in second

To be missed: The four seniors gather with their coach during a ceremony between games Wednesday. They are (from left to right): Candy Feare, Heidi Collins, head coach Dawn Austin, Krysten Parson and Brenda Gaerte.

A good day: Junior Stephanie Sidener stays on the ready in the first game with Grace. Sidener had a tremendous day offensively, going 3-5 from the plate with two home runs.

Goshen, IN — Playing in its last home games of the season Wednesday, Goshen defeated Grace 12-1 in the first game of a double-header, but lost the second by a 2-4 count after a sudden rain stopped a seventh inning rally. The pair of contests marked the final home games for Goshen this year, as head coach Dawn Austin watched her four seniors in Candy Feare, Heidi Collins, Krysten Parson and Brenda Gaerte take the home field for the final time.

“Together these seniors have helped lead the program to respectabilibty and a tradition of winning,” Austin said of her upperclassmen. “They will be dearly missed.”

If the seniors were to have a memorable send off from the friendly confines of their own field, Game 1 was more than appropriate. Goshen (19-13, 7-7) rushed out of the gates in the first contest, scoring all 12 runs in the first three innings. Junior Stephanie Sidener knocked out homers in both the first and third innings, knocking in a total four runs. Classmate Michelle Wade also went 2-3 knocking in 3 RBI off of a pair of doubles.

“Offensively we got things rolling again in the first game,” Austin said. “We’re moving in the right direction for the conference tournament.”

Freshman Rachel Solmos was credited with the win in the pitching circle, throwing the full five innings while only allowing five hits for the Lancers.

The second game was the complete opposite of the first, with Grace scoring early and often. A three-run top of the first put the Lancers in control, though one run was unearned due to a fielding error by the Leafs. Goshen could not get the bats working in time — the first Leaf run came in the bottom of the fourth inning when Feare singled with two outs and knocked in Sidener, who had reached on a single to lead off the inning. The second Goshen run came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Parson knocked in freshman Tara Haynes after the two both hit singles.

After Grace added another run in the top of the sixth, the Leafs had ample opportunities to tie or win the game, but couldn’t. In the bottom of the sixth, Goshen had two runners on but could not score them. After holding Grace scoreless in the seventh, Goshen was on the offensive again, this time with two runners on and one out in the bottom of the seventh. That’s when it started pouring. The umpiring crew called the game after lighting was sighted and the torrential downpour was just too heavy.

“We put ourselves in that position and can’t (blame the weather),” Austin said. “They scored three runs early and we didn’t step up right away and score. We didn’t get our last at-bat, but we had our opportunities.”

In Game 2, Goshen was led by Parson, who went 2-3 with an RBI. Feare was 1-3 with an RBI. Sophomore Amy Lewis was saddled with the loss after pitching 2.1 innings. The contest was recorded as an official game since five full innings were played before the storm ended it prematurely.

Goshen will now travel to Purdue North-Central on Saturday for a 12 p.m. start. The Leafs will be seeded fifth in the conference tournament, and will face St. Francis at 12 p.m. May 2 on Field #1 at Indiana Wesleyan.

“I felt much better after the games with Grace,” Austin said. “I feel we’ve got some things to work on defensively, but we’re headed in the right direction going into our tournament.”

APR. 18 — Leafs Play Better; Still Can't Get Back To Winning At St. Francis
Cougars take two from Goshen 7-4 and 9-8

Sophomore Tera Franklin Senior Heidi Collins

Fort Wayne, IN — Thursday’s games at St. Francis were a step in the right direction for the Goshen College softball team according to head coach Dawn Austin. Unfortunately for the Leafs, it just wasn’t big enough of a step to secure a win.

After losing Game 1 by a 4-7 count and Game 2 by a 8-9 score, Goshen has now lost nine of its last 10 contests. Despite this slide, Austin said she was proud of the way her team played for the most part at St. Francis.

“We talked after the first game about waiting too long to produce runs,” Austin said. “It puts us in a tough situation when we’re not scoring soon enough.”

After starting with five scoreless innings to begin Game 1, the Leafs came out with a surge in the second game, scoring two runs in its first at bat and netting four more in the top of the fourth inning. And while this offense wasn't enough to keep St. Francis from outscoring the Leafs, it still was progress.

“We did a much better job in Game 2 of producing runs, but give St. Francis credit,” Austin said. “They did what they had to do in coming from behind to beat us.”

It was in the second game that Goshen (18-12, 6-6) held a 7-2 advantage going into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Cougars then went on a tear, knocking in seven batters on six hits to secure the 9-7 lead. In the top of the seventh Goshen senior Krysten Parson pushed freshman Jackie Stoltzfus across with a single, but the Leafs could generate no more offense.

The Leafs were led in the second game behind the strong hitting of Parson, who went 4-5, including a triple, with 2 RBI and three runs scored. Senior Heidi Collins was 2-4 with 3 RBI and one run scored. Senior Brenda Gaerte was 2-4 with an RBI. Sophomore Amy Lewis was saddled with the Game 2 loss in the pitching circle for the Leafs.

In the first affair, Goshen fell behind by a 7-1 score before a three-run top of the seventh got them within striking distance. Sophomore Tera Franklin finished the first game with a 2-4 performance and 2 RBI, while Collins also knocked in a run on a solo home run. Parson also was credited with an RBI after walking with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. Freshman Rachel Solmos took the loss in Game 1.

“Overall, we did a better job in the second game today with all aspects, hitting, pitching and defense,” Austin said. “We’ve got a few days off now to get ready to make a final push.”

Goshen is idle until April 24 when the team will host Grace. That double-header will be designated as senior night, as it is the last regular-season home game for the Leafs.

APR. 15 — Olivet Nazarene Gets Goshen's Number
Slump continues as Leafs fall twice to Tigers, 2-8 and 2-13

Getting on: Senior Krysten Parson takes an at-bat last week against Bethel. On Monday, Parson scored two of the Maple Leafs' four total runs.

Goshen, IN — Goshen could not break out of its collective slump Monday against Olivet Nazarene, losing two games by 2-8 and 2-13 scores. Seven of the Leafs’ last eight games have been losses, and head coach Dawn Austin is hoping that a short break in the schedule can clear up some of the problems.

“We’ve had some troubles this week, for sure,” Austin said. “It’s our third double-header in a row, and the girls are a little tired, but that’s no excuse. We have to take a few days to work hard in practice and come back Thursday and play conference games. Hopefully we can change our mental approach and come back strong.”

Monday’s games with Olivet finished up a chalk-full weekend of softball for Goshen, as the team played six games over the course of Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Fortunately for the Leafs, only two of those six games were against conference opponents. Even though the team’s lone win in that span did come against a conference rival — an 8-3 defeat of Huntington on Saturday — the current slide still puts the defending conference champs in a difficult situation the rest of the way.

“We’ve got to change some things, or we won’t get a good seed in the conference tournament,” Austin said. “That’s our new goal now.”

Goshen (18-10, 6-4) had troubles right away in Game 1 Monday, giving up 2 runs in the first inning and another in the second. The Leafs scored its first runs of the game in the sixth inning, but by that time the Tigers had captured an 7-2 lead. Senior Candy Feare was 2-3 in the first game, while sophomore Tera Franklin was 1-3.

In Game 2, Olivet did not start hot early. Junior pitcher Michelle Wade looked in control in the circle, going two innings without giving up a run. With Goshen leading 1-0, Olivet erupted. A two-run third and an 11-run explosion over the next two innings finished off the Leafs.

Freshman Rachel Solmos was saddled with the Game 1 loss while Wade collected the Game 2 defeat. Olivet collected an amazing 29 hits on the day, compared with Goshen’s seven.

“Our pitchers have struggled for the past five days,” Austin said. “We’ve had trouble finding our spots and the teams we’ve faced have been playing well enough to take full advantage of our mistakes.”

Senior Krysten Parson went 1-2 in the second contest, and scored a run. Junior Stephanie Sidener was 1-2, including blasting a solo home run in the fourth inning.

Goshen will have two days off before traveling to St. Francis on Thursday. Game time is slated for 3 p.m.

APR. 5— Goshen Earns Two Against Marian
Home runs hit by Sidener and Collins

Smack: Junior Michelle Wade makes solid contact Friday April 5 against Marian. Wade was 5-7 with a doulbe and two RBI for the day.

Goshen, IN —The Leafs captured two big wins Friday, April 5 against Marian with scores of 3-2 and 6-1.

After a blank scoreboard and two outs in the fourth inning of game one, Junior Stephanie Sidener cracked a home run giving the Leafs the lead. Sidener went 2-3 from the plate.

Also contributing to the strong offense was senior Candy Feare, 2-3, with an RBI. Junior Michelle Wade was 1-3 with an RBI while sophomore Tera Franklin was also 1-3 and added a run scored.

The bats were hot also in game two as senior Heidi Collins had a home run late in the sixth inning, which advanced runners and put the Leafs up by five.

Wade was 2-4 from the plate with an RBI while Franklin was also offensively strong going 2-2 and two runs scored. Senior Krysten Parson was 2-4 and contributed two runs scored, as classmate Feare was 2-3 with one run and two RBI.

Goshen (15-3; 3-1) will host Taylor at 1:00pm Saturday, April 6.