GOSHEN, Ind. — Brad Stoltzfus singled twice and became the first Goshen College baseball player with 100 career walks as the Maple Leaf baseball team dropped a Crossroads League game to Marian University 8-5 on Tuesday at Sarge Yoder Field.

The senior singled to start the offensive side of the game, drew a pair of walks to start the third and fifth innings and added an RBI single in the eighth to continue GC's best late chance to tie the score before the hosts dropped their first of four conference games in three days.

Braedon Evans faced the minimum number of hitters through four innings and carried a no-hitter into the fifth while Ben Longacre added a pair of hits and Nolan Holcomb chipped in a two-run double for the Maple Leafs (14-17, 6-8).

Marian (14-18, 6-8) got three hits from Caleb Myers and did all of its scoring in a three-inning stretch from the fifth to the seventh while using a quartet of pitchers to hold down the fort.

GC loaded the bases three batters into the first inning after hits from Stoltzfus and Longacre: Clinton Stroble was hit by a pitch to cap off the feat, but a strikeout and a double play ended the scoring threat with two runners left aboard.

With the exception of GC singles in the third and fourth, the pitchers ruled the roost in the first four frames as the game stayed scoreless until within two outs of its midpoint. Once the Knights broke the seal on Evans' hit total, they strung together three straight hits, each scoring a run with the middle one (a Myers double) also going for extra bases. Myers added another two-bagger as part of a three-run fifth that put MU up 6-0.

Goshen began its response with two runs in the sixth, an inning that started with two straight outs before a pair of walks and Holcomb's double to score Kody McGuire and Brighton Schofield. Colby Malson, who led off the sixth, added a sacrifice fly to bring in a third Goshen run an inning later, but by that point the scoreboard had the Knights out to an 8-3 lead.

A Maple Leaf bullpen comprising Kyle Kotecki, Kyle Staelgraeve and Baylee Young retired eight of the last 10 Knights they faced, setting the offense up to get the tying run to the plate. Goshen again loaded the bases with no outs: McGuire led off with a double before Schofield drew his third straight walk and Holcomb was hit by a pitch. Stoltzfus' second hit of the day moved everyone up 90 feet, bringing the score to 8-4.

After a popup to second for the first out, Stroble drove in his first run of the day on a fielder's choice to third; Marian's attempt to turn a double play backfired, as the throw to first base sailed past the bag and allowed Stoltzfus to take third with two outs in the inning. But after taking two balls outside to run the count full, Ryan Hartig watched a third pitch sail by him for a called strike three as Goshen left another pair of runners on base.

Evans finished the day allowing six hits and six runs in 5 2/3 innings; Colton Daniel faced two men before yielding the mound in the sixth. The GC pitching staff combined for eight strikeouts and two pickoffs. On the Marian side, Cody Earl added a double to Myers' pair while scoring twice and knocking in two runs.

Zack St. Pierre allowed four hits and struck out six in the win for MU: Chase Dowell worked two innings in relief before Josh Sampoll and Matt Burleton closed things out with an inning apiece. The Knights finished with 12 hits and six runners left on.

Goshen travels to Bethel on Wednesday to conclude last weekend's series; only after the game is complete will the series have the same number of games played (three) that it did schedule changes.

The Maple Leafs will then jump into their next CL set a day earlier than planned: the team's three-game set against Indiana Wesleyan will now begin with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. Thursday after the weekend slate was rearranged due to forecast inclement weather. As always, stay tuned to GoLeafs.net and the Maple Leafs' social media accounts for the latest updates.