COSTA MESA, Calif. — An early lead and a late one slipped away Saturday afternoon as the Goshen College softball team dropped 4-3 and 16-6 decisions to 14th Vanguard University.

Emily Cummings spun a four-hit shutout through regulation in the opener, which went to eight innings because Vanguard starter Courtney Thornhill did the same. Each team held the other to one runner getting as far as third base: Goshen did it with one out in the third and Vanguard with two outs in the sixth.

By prior agreement, the extra inning began with a runner on second base under the international tiebreaker rule. Goshen promptly loaded the bases on a hit batter and an unsuccessful fielder's choice.

Madison Matthews knocked in the first two runs of the game with a double and Katherine Boyer added one more with a single to make it 3-0 Maple Leafs. Unfortunately, Matthews was thrown out at the plate seeking to extend the lead and a subsequent groundout ended the inning.

Vanguard wasted even less time getting on the scoreboard, knocking in its first run on a leadoff bunt. Two more singles and a groundout put the tying run at second base to set up a game-tying Samantha Shaffer double, and Shaffer scored the winning run when Tatiana Tabizon drove her in with another two-base hit.

Tabizon and Emily Hall had the game's only two-hit performances.

The Maple Leafs opened the second game with a 6-run first inning before the Lions (6-2) scored in each of their four frames for a 16-6 mercy-rule win.

Goshen got RBI singles from Boyer, Jessica Bachtell, Cassandra Espinoza and Sandra Rodriguez in the first inning: Vanguard countered with 2 runs of its own in the first and led 7-6 after two frames.

Rodriguez finished 2 for 3 and Bachtell knocked in a pair for Goshen (1-5). Cassie Balswick scored 3 runs and had 3 hits to lead Vanguard; Amber Huffman drove in 3 runs. Balswick, Belle Herrera and Taylor Radke all recorded doubles.

Vanguard used three pitchers and Goshen two in the offensive explosion.

The Maple Leafs continue their 12-game spring trip on Sunday with a visit to the University of Antelope Valley in Lancaster, California; first pitch is set for 11 a.m. local time, which is 2 p.m. in Goshen.