Crazy Day At Grace Concludes Regular Season
April 25, 2009
WINONA LAKE, Ind. (4/25)
vs. Grace College
It was a wild and windy day in Winona Lake as the Maple Leafs and Lancers battled to a double-header split in their only match ups of the season.
In game one, it was a spectacular outing by freshman Shane Davis (Elkhart, Ind.) that proved to be the difference. Davis scattered five hits and two runs over seven innings, while striking out a career high nine batters.
Despite Davis’ efforts early, the Leafs trailed 2-0 going into the fifth as the offense struggled to get rolling. After a Greg Meyer (Muskegan, Mich.) sacrifice fly brought Goshen within one after five innings, the Leafs really rallied in the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, junior Zac Miller (Centreville, Mich.) blasted an inside fastball well over the left-field fence for a two-run home run – the first of his career – and Goshen was up 5-2. The Leafs offense then broke out with three more runs in the inning and another in the seventh as they took the opener 7-2.
Down 2-0 again in game two, Goshen put together another five-run inning in the third sparked by a three-run home run by freshman Garrett Cannizzo (Arlington Heights, Ill.).
Grace, however, climbed back within a single run before rallying for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 12-5 lead.
Unwilling to go down easily, the Leafs put together a rally of their own in the seventh. With one out and nobody on, the comeback was on. Eight straight batters reached base as Goshen tallied seven runs to tie the game at 12-12. Unfortunately, Grace rallied again in the bottom of the inning to push across the game winner in a thrilling 12-13 contest.
MARION, Ind. (4/15)
vs. Indiana Wesleyan University
The Maple Leafs traveled to Indiana Wesleyan University and were a bit shorthanded early on as student-athletes finished final exams throughout the afternoon.
The Wildcats took advantage as they jumped out with seven runs in the first two innings of game one. It was a shaky Goshen defense that contributed to the start as the Leafs committed four errors in the opener.
Meanwhile, Wesleyan starter Josh Worrell shut down the Goshen offense, allowing just one hit over his six innings of work as the Wildcats won 9-1.
The nightcap – in this case very late nightcap with the game starting after 8:00 p.m. – was much of the same. Four Maple Leaf errors helped Indiana Wesleyan to seven runs in the second as they went on for another 9-1 win.
The Goshen offense did get rolling with nine hits, but struggled to string them together. Adam Zehr, Zac Miller, Tom McDowell, and Garrett Cannizzo had two each for the Leafs.
