HUNTINGTON, Ind. — Camm Nickell and Reece Willis each had multiple hits in the series opener as Goshen College dropped a Crossroads League baseball doubleheader to Huntington University on Friday at HU's Forest Glen Park. The Foresters won 11-1 and 6-0.
The Foresters (22-8, 15-7) jumped in front in the bottom of the second inning, which started with three consecutive singles to plate a run before a throwing error added another. The fourth batter produced the first out, but it was a trade for the third run on a sacrifice fly to run the score to 3-0.
Nate Lange's double in the top of the third inning brought in Goshen's first run and moved the tying runner to second base before Huntington starter Camden Dice struck out the next two batters. Dice and Eli Knust had run-scoring hits after a Satchell Wilson homer in the bottom of the inning as HU took a 6-1 lead.
The Maple Leafs (3-28, 2-20) loaded the bases in the top of the fourth and the top of the seventh but were unable to score. Knust added an RBI single in the fifth and Jarret Gray hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning before Langston Ginder triggered the run rule with a two-out, two-run homer in the seventh.
Dice threw 112 pitches in the complete-game win, allowing 7 hits and an unearned run while striking out 9. Kyle Staelgraeve and Toby Fox pitched for GC.
Huntington did all of its scoring in two innings in the nightcap, taking a 4-0 lead in the third inning on two walks and three hits before piling on with a throwing error. The Maple Leafs got the tying run to the on-deck circle in the top of the fifth after hits by Morgan Baker and Ryan Glithero, but were unable to advance the line further.
Lange and Camm Nickell added hits in the sixth, but a flyout ended that threat and the Foresters immediately added on in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff double gave way to two singles and a ground ball to second, which saw GC turn two but allowed the last run to score.
Alex McCutcheon finished the complete game in the bottom of the seventh, striking out 10 and allowing 5 hits with no walks. Baylee Young went the distance for Goshen, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits with 3 strikeouts.
All 11 hits in the second game came from different players.
The teams were slated to meet again Saturday to conclude the series and reach the two-thirds point of the conference season, but Mother Nature had other ideas as forecasted rain wiped out that possibility. The back half of the series has been moved to Monday in another 3 p.m. doubleheader.
