LANCASTER, Calif. – The Maple Leafs softball team ran their win streak up to five games with two wins at the University of Antelope Valley on Wednesday. Despite losing all previous eight matchups to the Pioneers, Goshen outscored Antelope Valley 21-2 today, winning 9-2 and 12-0 (in five innings).
Alyssa McDonald notched two home runs and seven RBIs in game two.
The Leafs did most of their scoring in game one in the first two innings. In the first,
Alisyn Catenacci singled, allowing
Kaylee Kates to score. Then, a flyout to center from
Shea VanScoter brought
Edith Vega in.
With the bases loaded in the second,
Ri Koteles was hit by a pitch – scoring
Claire Ouellette. Vega scored another run – this time on a single from McDonald. VanScoter picked up her second and third RBIs off a double that brought in McDonald and Catenacci. It was already 7-0 in the middle of the second by then.
VanScoter also delivered on the mound. She gave up just one earned run off of five hits in four innings. She struck out three and walked two. Catenacci pitched the remaining three innings, allowing just one earned run and two hits.
Goshen's final runs came off the bat of
Jessica Bachtell. She went into the game in the top of the third and hit a double in the fifth before being thrown out at third. Kates and
Caleigh Resler scored, and Goshen led 9-1.
The Pioneers scored once in the bottom of the fifth, but Goshen won handily, 9-2. Bachtell, Catenacci, McDonald, and VanScoter had multi-hit games for the Maple Leafs. GC had three doubles, whereas Antelope Valley had none.
Game two was even more of a lopsided victory, as it took Goshen only five innings to claim the win. McDonald tallied two home runs and seven RBIs.
Her first RBI came in the first inning when she reached base on a fielder's choice. Catenacci was out at second, but Vega scored to give Goshen a 2-0 lead. Then, she tacked on some three-run blasts.
Her first home run came in the second inning, scoring Catenacci and Koteles and taking a 3-0 lead to 6-0. Then she duplicated it in the fourth, scoring Catenacci and Fillingame as well to make it 9-0.
McDonald became the first Goshen softball player to have seven RBIs in a game in at least 15 years. A few players have brought in six runs in a game in that time, most recently
Emily Cummings three years ago to the day against Benedictine-Mesa.
Kates had an RBI single, and Vega had a two-RBI single later in the inning, leading to six runs for the Leafs in the fourth alone. By then, it was 12-0, which would be the final after the fifth inning came to a close.
Pitcher
Ellie Van Heerde didn't allow any runs in her complete game. She struck out six, walked two, and allowed five hits.
VanScoter connected with two doubles and a single, having a 3-3 game at the plate. She scored a run and had an RBI. Catenacci was 2-2 with two runs, an RBI, and a walk.
The Maple Leafs and Pioneers had faced each other eight times between 2015 and 2019. Goshen lost all eight of those, being outscored 44-21. It was quite a different story today.
Goshen now sits at 5-3 this year as Antelope Valley falls to 2-15. Goshen will play Westcliff University at 3:00 pm EST in Irvine, California, on Thursday. The final games of their trip out west will be on March 4 against San Diego Christian College.
