GOSHEN, Ind. – The home season got off to an excellent start for the Maple Leafs softball team on Sunday afternoon. Goshen won both games in a doubleheader against Cleary University – 9-3 and 11-9.
The Leafs established a lead early in game one – scoring seven runs in the first two innings.
Alisyn Catenacci had a double to left-center in the first and one to right-center in the second – hitting in three runs between the two.
Olivia Gibson and
Alyssa McDonald each had RBI singles.
Shea VanScoter brought in two with her double down the left-field line in the second, but the best from her was yet to come.
Cleary scored three runs in the third, but VanScoter added some insurance runs with a two-run homer to center. Goshen led 9-3 then, which was the final.
Ellie Van Heerde earned the win, allowing three earned runs in four innings pitched.
Mia Pawelski threw the remaining three innings, giving up just one hit and walking none. She earned her first save of the season.
VanScoter finished 3-4 with two runs, two doubles, a home run, and three RBIs. Gibson had three singles, and
Kaylee Kates,
Ri Koteles, Catenacci, and McDonald all had multiple hits. The team set a season-high with 17 hits. This was Goshen's most hits in a game since April 8, 2019, against Spring Arbor when they had 28.
While Goshen got off on the right foot in game one, they had to claw back to win game two. Cleary's third batter of the game, Susie Bielecki, hit a solo shot to go up 1-0. The Maple Leafs got the bases loaded in the first, and then Gibson hit a grand slam to swing the lead in Goshen's favor – 4-1. This was Gibson's first home run in her collegiate career.
The Cougars tacked on six runs in the second.
Amanda Hartman allowed six runs in her 1.2 innings on the mound. Goshen had four runs in the bottom half. Koteles walked in a run, Catenacci hit a sac fly, Gibson had an RBI single, and
Claire Ouellette added an RBI double. Cleary put up two in the top of the third, and it was already 9-8 in the middle of the third.
Then the pitchers showed off what they had.
Grace Schmitt came in the game and threw 4.1 innings for GC, allowing two earned runs and no walks. Allison Lesonsky only gave up two earned runs in her 3.2 innings of work. However, the Leafs got just enough offense when they needed it most.
Edith Vega doubled and scored Gibson to tie the game in the sixth.
Jessica Bachtell singled to bring in Ouellette, and VanScoter's sacrifice fly scored Vega. Goshen led 11-9, and
Mia Pawelski pitched a perfect seventh inning to earn another save.
"[Gibson] came up big all day long both at the plate and in the field!" head coach
Juliaclare Plezbert noted. "The grand slam helped give us momentum early in game two, and it was great to see all of her hard work pay off."
VanScoter was 3-3 this game with two runs scored, an RBI, and a double. Gibson was 3-3 with the grand slam, five RBIs, and two runs. Ouellette, Vega, and
Lily Robles all had two hits.
These were the first home games for Goshen this season. "There is always something special about playing on your own field," Plezbert shared. "We loved all the support of our fans!"
Goshen (10-8, 0-4 CL) takes on Grace at home on Monday, March 21 at 3:00 pm.
