ENCINITAS, Calif. – Great pitching in game one and a thrilling inning of offense in game two led to two Maple Leafs softball victories on Monday evening at the University of Saint Katherine. Goshen heads to the halfway point of their California trip with 3-1 and 18-6 wins.
Mia Pawelski put on a show from the mound in game one. The senior struck out ten and walked two in six innings. She didn't allow any runs and just two hits during her 98-pitch start.
While Pawelski was taking care of business in the bottom halves of the innings, Goshen's offense struck in the top of the second, third, and fourth. In the second, the Leafs filled the bases with a single from Pawelski, a walk from
Alisyn Catenacci, and
Kamille Badibanga getting hit by a pitch. Then
Ellie Van Heerde got on base from an error, and Pawelski scored.
In the third, Goshen had the bases loaded again via a walk by
Edith Vega, a single from
Ri Koteles, and a walk by
Alyssa McDonald. With two outs, Catenacci hit a single to left field that brought in Vega, and Goshen had a 2-0 lead.
Kaylee Kates scored from an error in the fourth after Vega singled and got out at second.
The Firebirds put up a bit of a fight in the seventh after Pawelski had left the game. Alyssa Bolden's single scored Annie Bennett, but that was all the home team could come up with. Goshen was able to hold on to a 3-1 win.
"Mia killed it," said head coach
Juliaclare Plezbert. "She demonstrated poise and leadership on the mound. Her and Ri really worked well together and got us out of some pretty tough situations."
The Leafs had tallied nine runs through the first six innings in game two. But the offense was just getting started. Goshen added an additional nine runs in the seventh inning alone.
Goshen had a 9-6 lead when the seventh inning began. Claire Ouelette was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and
Shea VanScoter and McDonald walked to load the bases. Then, Badibanga walked to bring a run home. That was followed by four consecutive singles by
Kyra Wilson, Van Heerde, Kates, and Vega to bring in four more runs and give GC a 14-9 advantage. Next,
Olivia Gibson came into the game as a pinch hitter for Koteles and smashed a double to left field to bring in two more runs. She advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on another. The final run of the inning came later on when Wilson walked in a run. Goshen had 15 batters in the inning, scoring nine runs from five hits and six walks. The Firebirds didn't make up the 12-run deficit in the bottom half, and Goshen won 18-6.
Goshen's 18 runs ties a program record for the most runs in a game of seven innings or less. The other occasion was an 18-7 win over Spalding University (Kentucky) on March 24, 2001, in Indianapolis.
Other notable moments outside of the seventh inning included a Catenacci double in the fourth that scored two and two separate hits by McDonald that gave her a couple of RBIs.
Grace Schmitt threw 4.1 innings and allowed one earned run and three hits.
Kates had three singles and a walk, scoring twice and adding an RBI. Catenacci was 2-3, VanScoter and McDonald were 2-4, and Vega finished 2-5.
"Each member of our team contributed in game two," Plezbert shared. "It was all about heart and truly was a full team effort! They never let the score dictate how they played. They focused on the little things, encouraged each other and kept their competitive edge."
Before facing Goshen, Saint Katherine had most recently defeated #17 Hope International University 6-3. The Firebirds drop to 2-8, and Goshen rises to 3-3.
The Maple Leafs take a day off before facing the University of Antelope Valley on Wednesday, March 2. The games start at 3:00 pm EST in Lancaster, California.
