GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen baseball team concluded their opening home series with two losses to Marian on Monday. The Knights won 12-6 in game one and 8-5 in game two.
Marian bolted to a 6-0 start midway through the fifth. Matteo Porcellato, AJ Bordenet, and Trey Heidlage had home runs that sparked the Knights' lead. The Maple Leafs roared back, though.
Evan Creager hit a two-run homer in the fifth to cut the lead to 6-2.
Peyton Smith scored with Creager and later hit a grounder that brought in
Gabe Kermode in the sixth.
Camm Nickell had an RBI single in the seventh, and
Trent Sillett had one of his own in the eighth.
Marian was clinging to a 6-5 lead, but they bolstered it with six runs in the ninth. Creager hit a sac fly in the bottom of the ninth, but Marian came out on top, 12-6.
Kyle Staelgraeve started and picked up the loss. He allowed four earned runs in the first inning.
Camm Nickell pitched the next seven innings. He only allowed two earned runs and threw seven strikeouts with two walks.
Jenner Rodammer went 3-5 with a double. Smith had a double and a single and scored twice. Creager added two hits and three RBIs.
Goshen led first in game two. Smith was the starter, but he had a double in the first to center that brought in two Maple Leafs runs. The visitors scored four runs in the third, and GC's
Morgan Baker homered in the bottom of the fourth. Marian increased the lead to 5-3 in the fifth.
The Leafs responded when Rodammer's double scored Nickell, and a single from Smith brought Rodammer home. That tied it at five, but Marian scored three more runs over the final two innings to win 8-5.
"It was great to play at home and on campus these past two days," shared head coach
Alex Childers. "Our guys showed tremendous fight and resiliency."
Smith allowed four earned runs and five hits in four innings pitched. Jaxon Meyer earned the win for Marian. Meyer came to throw the final 2.2 innings and allowed no earned runs.
Rodammer hit a single and two doubles for Goshen. He has recorded at least one hit in his last eight games and has multi-hit games in his previous seven. Smith helped himself by supplying three RBIs. Baker had two extra-base hits and with his double and home run.
"We will continue to battle and compete regardless of results," Childers added.
Goshen (4-18, 1-11 CL) plays one game at Siena Heights on Wednesday, March 23, at 4:00 pm. The Leafs will be at home on Friday, March 25, at 2:00 pm against Mount Vernon Nazarene.
