FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Jolie Groeneveld had a pair of run-scoring hits Friday afternoon, but the Goshen College softball team lost its first two games of the season 3-1 and 5-3 to Indiana Tech on Friday afternoon at Warrior Park.
Mia Pawelski went the distance in a 3-hitter for the Maple Leafs (0-2) in the opener and Alisyn Catenacci also fired a complete game in the nightcap, but the Warriors came out ahead in both cases. Groeneveld was involved in all four runs for the Maple Leafs, who had the tying run at the plate in game one and got the tying runs into scoring position in game two.
Emma Kelley finished with three hits including a double for the Warriors (2-0) while Payton Robinson and Meghan Berlin each went deep in the opener. Amanda Shonka held Goshen to four hits in the opener and Indiana Tech split the pitching three ways after that.
The Maple Leafs threatened first as Edith Vega led off the season by being hit by a pitch and stole second base, but she got no help from the top of the order. Indiana Tech needed three batters to get on the scoreboard as Robinson led off with a single and scored two batters later when Robinson added a base hit through the right side.
Goshen would tie the game in the second inning as four of the first five batters reached base. Stacey Landry led off with a walk before Jessica Bachtell laced a ball to left and reached on the fielder's choice. Pawelski and Groeneveld each singled as GC scored a run and left runners on first and second.
The Warriors mustered two hits and two walks the rest of the way, but both hits exited the facility as Berlin smacked a solo shot with two outs in the fourth and Robinson went yard to start the fifth.
Landry led off the seventh with a base hit for the Leafs before Bachtell doubled down the left-field line; unfortunately, an intervening pickoff meant that the two-bagger only brought the tying run to the plate rather than putting it in scoring position. A popup to second and a ground ball back to the circle ended the game.
Each pitcher earned a quality start: Pawelski gave up 3 runs and 4 hits in 6 innings, striking out 7, while Shonka allowed 4 hits and a walk in 7 innings.
The Warriors went up 5-0 in the third inning of the second game before Goshen left the tying runs on base in both the third and fifth frames. The top of the Maple Leaf order was due up when the game was called on account of cold weather at 6:15 p.m. EST.
Indiana Tech led off its half of the game with two singles and moved the runners up 60 feet apiece on a wild pitch. Kelley did her job by driving a single through the left side for the go-ahead run, but the Maple Leafs would get out of the inning on defense: Regan Sheipline, Bachtell and Landry hooked up to throw the trail runner out at the plate for the first out before Olivia Gibson turned an unassisted double play on a line drive to third.
Alivia Doyle doubled down the line to double the Warrior lead in the second before coming home on a wild pitch to make it 3-0. After the Maple Leafs loaded the bases in the top of the third on two two-out walks and a hit batter, Berlin knocked in Kelley and scored on a throwing error to make it 5-0 in the bottom of the inning.
One-out walks to Pawelski and Bachtell set up Goshen's offense in the fourth, which again came in the form of Groeneveld. She singled to right, took second on an unsuccessful throw home as the lead runner scored, then took third on a throwing error that plated Bachtell. Having rounded third base, she was awarded home on interference as the Leafs closed within 5-3.
Catenacci retired the side in order in the fourth and Goshen threatened again in the fifth. Sheipline led off with a walk and was caught stealing, but the runner was replaced when Koteles reached on a dropped throw. Catenacci added a runner to the mix with an infield single, bringing the tying run to the plate with one out, but a popup and a punchout ended that threat.
Two walks were the only offense in the final inning and a half.
Catenacci threw 110 pitches while allowing 4 earned runs in 6 innings. She struck out 4. Jaden Romero took the win for Indiana Tech while Hannah Middlebrooks worked the last 2 1/3 innings for the save.
Having seen the start of its season pushed back two weeks by weather, the Maple Leafs will seek to make up for lost time and the 10 games they were supposed to have played. GC travels to Westfield, Indiana, and Grand Park on Saturday as it plays Calumet College of St. Joseph. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 11 a.m. EST on Diamond 15.
