GOSHEN, Ind. — Clinton Stroble II and Mitchell Wilson each had two hits Friday as the Goshen College baseball team lost 4-0 to Mount Vernon Nazarene University in the opener of a three-game weekend series.

The Cougars (32-13, 15-6) scored all of their runs in the third inning after a leadoff double, a hit batter and a pair of errors.

Goshen (14-26, 8-14) threatened throughout the contest, putting two runners on base in each of the second, third and fifth innings but leaving them all aboard. The team's best chances came in its final two trips to the plate.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Ben Longacre reached on an infield single before Stroble was hit by a pitch. Wilson singled up the middle, which loaded the bases briefly, but the Cougars got an out in a rundown and struck out the next batter to strand the tying run on deck.

A fielding error and a walk put two on with one away in the ninth inning before Colby Malson singled up the middle to load the bases. An intervening fielder's choice recorded the second out while turning the lineup over and Longacre flied out to right as the potential tying run.

Goshen finished with more hits than Mount Vernon Nazarene by a 7-5 margin, although the Cougars got doubles from Brandt Miller and Jake Glover. All seven Goshen hits were singles.

Kade Gorman pitched six innings without allowing an earned run for the Maple Leafs, who also used Kyle Staelgraeve, Colton Daniel and Toby Fox in relief. The bullpen combined to allow one baserunner in three innings, and that man was caught stealing in the eighth.

Despite the loss, Goshen saw its lead on Saint Francis increase in the conference standings: the Cougars lost twice, dropping them 1 1/2 games behind the Maple Leafs for the eighth spot in next month's Crossroads League tournament.

The final games of the series, which had been scheduled for Saturday, were postponed to Monday due to an uncertain weather forecast. First pitch is now slated for 10 a.m. at Sarge Yoder Field due to final exams scheduled in the evening.