ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Goshen College softball team rebounded from a game-one loss to post a comeback victory in game two of its doubleheader Monday, topping Roosevelt University 6-5 at the Parkway Bank Complex in suburban Chicago. The Lakers had blanked the Maple Leafs 8-0 in the opener.
Mia Pawelski became the first Maple Leaf to get her second win of the season in the pitching circle and Edith Vega added a double and a triple for a 3-RBI showing. Jolie Groeneveld also had two hits in the second game.
Roosevelt (8-2) scored the first 11 runs of the day, getting a 3-run inning in the bottom of the second in game two off a pair of singles and a two-run Amber Green double for a 3-0 lead. Goshen quickly started its comeback, though, with a one-out single from Groeneveld before Vega's triple and Rianna Koteles' double both scored runs. Vega added a two-run double in the next frame, scoring Kyra Wilson and Ashley Glazer to put the Maple Leafs up 4-3.
Pawelski took the rubber in the bottom of the fourth and promptly retired six of the seven batters she faced with the one-run lead. GC tacked on two runs in the top of the sixth thanks to Groeneveld's RBI single and a passed ball to run its lead out to 6-3.
The Maple Leafs (4-4) would be glad for those insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. After a leadoff walk and a strikeout, Kelly Farmer doubled to bring the tying run to the plate and Roosevelt loaded the bases with two walks. One run scored on a fielder's choice as GC tried to turn two up the middle, but Pawelski fanned the next hitter to escape with a one-run lead. Two of the three outs in the seventh came by punchout as well.
Despite entering with the lead, Pawelski got the win because starter Bernadette Quintero did not pitch the requisite 7 innings. Pawelski fanned 6 and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, throwing 80 pitches.
Hailey Getz took the loss for the Lakers after giving up 4 runs on 7 hits in 4 innings. Ally Spapperi and Samantha Norman finished the game in the circle. Green's double was the lone Roosevelt extra-base hit and Amanda Lozada had two singles.
In the opener, Roosevelt took a 3-0 lead on an Ashley Njissang homer 11 pitches into the bottom of the first inning, then added three unearned runs in the second on a pair of errors and a Jessica Schneider double. GC put the leadoff runner on base in the second and fourth innings but was unable to back that up with a hit in either case.
Roosevelt put an end to the game in the fifth, getting a Samantha Norman RBI triple with one out followed by a Lozada double to trigger the run rule.
RU's five hits all came from different players, but four of them went for extra base. Schneider added a pair of walks to reach base three times. Vega led Goshen with a double.
Roosevelt's Kate Sisson picked up the complete-game win, scattering 3 hits and striking out 7.
Goshen is off Tuesday before returning to the field Wednesday against another Chicago-area school, Trinity International University, at the John Ingold Athletic Complex. The games will be Goshen's first non-conference home games since 2012, two years before the Crossroads League expanded the conference slate to 36 games, and will match GC's earliest home game ever by calendar date.
Due to an earlier-than-normal sunset caused by still observing Eastern Standard Time, the first game will start at 2 p.m. rather than the usual 3 p.m. weekday first pitch. As with all Goshen home softball games, the video will be streamed at GoLeafs.net/live.
