HUNTINGTON, Ind. –
Ri Koteles powered through with two home runs as the Maple Leafs softball team had 25 runs and 31 hits in a sweep over Huntington on the road on Friday. It only took five innings for Goshen to win game one 11-3 before they defeated the Foresters 14-10 in game two.
"It's exciting to be at the field every day because everyone has been working hard to make each other better," said head coach
Juliaclare Plezbert. "It's the passion to make each other better that allows for rallies to happen and to string victories together."
Huntington got on the board first, but that lead was quickly erased. Three big hits guided Goshen to a six-run second inning.
Mia Pawelski doubled to score
Olivia Gibson.
Alyssa McDonald tripled, which brought in Pawelski. McDonald scored on
Shea VanScoter's RBI double. It was 6-1 by the middle of the second, which was already more than the Maple Leafs would need.
Pawelski got the start and tossed five innings – allowing three earned runs and five hits. She struck out four and walked two.
With a 6-3 lead, Goshen had another big inning in the fifth. Five more runs came around, led by VanScoter's two-RBI double. Gibson hit a two-RBI double that advanced the lead to 11-3. The Foresters couldn't score in the bottom half of the inning, and the Maple Leafs won via run-rule, 11-3.
Pawelski earned the win. VanScoter went 3-4 with two doubles, a triple, two runs scored, and three RBIs.
Claire Ouellette came off from her 4-4 game at Spring Arbor with three RBIs in this one. Gibson and McDonald each had multiple hits.
The Foresters started the scoring in game two as well, but they forced Goshen to come back from a more significant deficit this time.
Huntington had four runs in the bottom of the second – starting with a double from Mackenzie Walker, that scored the first two. And though Gibson hit an RBI single for the Leafs in the third, the home team added a couple more runs and led 6-1 after three. Goshen tied it up after the top of the fourth with a five-run inning. Two runs came from yet another VanScoter double, and then Koteles hit a two-run bomb to right field that tied the game.
The Foresters still added four runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 10-6. However, Goshen would get the last laugh and score the final eight runs.
Goshen added five runs in the sixth – the fourth time between the two games where they had a 5+ run inning. Koteles had a solo shot to start it, and McDonald ended it with a two-RBI single.
Grace Schmitt's two-RBI double in the seventh continued the momentum to Goshen's 14-10 win.
Amanda Hartman threw the final 3.1 innings for GC – allowing no earned runs or walks. She struck out four and gave up just three hits. Koteles finished 2-4 with two home runs, a walk, three runs scored, and three RBIs. VanScoter was 3-5 with two runs and two RBIs.
Kyra Wilson went 3-4 with two runs and two RBIs. "Kyra hit the ball really hard every time she was up," shared Plezbert. McDonald, Ouellette, and Schmitt all had a multi-hit game also.
The Leafs improve to 14-10 overall and 4-6 in the Crossroads League. Now on a three-game win streak, Goshen takes on Saint Francis (Ind.) on the road tomorrow – Saturday, April 2. Game one will start at 1:00 pm.
