GOSHEN, Ind. — Katherine Boyer outran a throw from the shortstop to home plate to score the winning run in an inning with two obstruction calls on Tuesday as the Goshen College Maple Leafs topped Mount Vernon Nazarene University 2-1 in the first game of a Crossroads League softball doubleheader at the John Ingold Athletic Complex. The Cougars won the second game 7-1.

After working a leadoff walk in the eighth inning, Boyer moved to second base when the catcher interfered with Madison Matthews' trip to first. A groundout moved the winning run to third base before Jessica Bachtell hit a ground ball to her opposite number at short. Boyer appeared to beat the throw to the plate, but the obstruction ruling meant she would have scored anyway as the Maple Leafs (15-26, 9-16) walked off with the win.

Mount Vernon Nazarene (18-16, 13-11) outhit the Maple Leafs 10-4, putting at least one runner on base in every inning, but left 15 runners on base in the opener. The Cougars had put the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out in the eighth before Bachtell made diving stops on two ground balls to start force plays and get out of the inning.

The Cougars broke the seal on the scoreboard with a one-out Cassidy Cain single in the third inning: Savannah Richards trotted home from third base after her triple.

Boyer also scored Goshen's first run of the day, drawing a leadoff walk in the sixth inning and moving up 60 feet on a wild pitch before Matthews knocked her in with a single to center. Matthews would take second base on the throw home, then move up on a wild pitch, but neither she nor seventh-inning runner Sandra Rodriguez could work her way home to be the winning run.

Emily Cummings fired a complete game in the pitching circle, striking out 8 in as many innings and holding the Cougars to 1 run without walking a batter. Hannah Barco spun a four-hitter in a complete game of her own for MVNU.

Katelin Perkins led all players with 3 hits for MVNU: Goshen's four hits, all singles, came from four players. The two teams combined to reach base eight times after being hit by pitches.

Goshen struck first in the nightcap, getting a pair of singles from Cummings and Leah Herrman before a Rodriguez groundout drove in pinch-runner Allison White in the second inning. Mount Vernon Nazarene more than responded, however, scoring twice in the third to take the lead before getting three unearned runs in a 4-run fourth.

Cassidy Cain scored on a single to the left side in the seventh to set the final score.

The Maple Leafs finished with more hits in their loss than in their win, with Herrman roping two singles to lead the team. Maddie Johnson and Maddison Ruhl each had two hits for MVNU, with Cain drawing the only two walks issued by either team.

MVNU's Jennifer Kurelic took the win in an 82-pitch complete game, allowing 5 hits and striking out a pair.

The victory in the first game kept Goshen half a game ahead of Huntington in the race for the sixth seed in next month's Crossroads League tournament. The Foresters gained a game in the standings after sweeping Spring Arbor on Tuesday, but GC has the tiebreaker after winning three of the four head-to-head meetings.

Goshen hosts the University of Saint Francis on Friday, capping a six-game homestand before playing six of its last nine games on the road. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. in the program's inaugural breast-cancer awareness game.