MISHAWAKA, Ind. – The Maple Leafs softball team split a doubleheader with Bethel in a U.S. Highway 20 Cup matchup on Saturday and secured a six-seed in the Crossroads League Tournament. Goshen lost game one 10-3 but came back to win the second, 9-5.
Bethel scored five runs in the second and another four in the fifth inning in game one. They had 11 hits and five walks in the game, while Goshen had three errors. An RBI double from
Ri Koteles started the Goshen scoring in the third, and they would pick up two more in the fourth. But the Pilots came through with a 10-3 win.
Mia Pawelski took the loss, allowing five earned in one inning pitched. Alyssa Hartman threw the final 1.2 innings for the Maple Leafs – striking out three and not allowing any runs. Koteles finished with two doubles, and
Kaylee Kates had a single and a double.
Goshen's game two win was highlighted by a six-run inning in the fifth.
The game's first three scoring plays were all home runs. Bethel' Emmie Pugh hit a two-run homer in the first, while Goshen's
Carissa Fillingame and
Shea VanScoter each hit solo home runs to left to tie the game at two. It was Fillingame's fourth and VanScoter's ninth home run of the season.
VanScoter's four-bagger started the strong fifth inning for GC.
Edith Vega hit a two-RBI single, Fillingame added an RBI single, and
Alyssa McDonald scored Vega and Fillingame with her single.
Goshen led 7-2 at this point, but Bethel put up three runs in the bottom half of the inning to tighten the gap. However, Van Heerde hit an RBI single and VanScoter reached first on a bunt that scored Vega from third, and Goshen won 9-5.
Although the Maple Leafs didn't get any baserunners from walks, they were hit by a pitch four times and had 13 hits. Five players had at least two hits for the Leafs – VanScoter, Koteles, Vega, Fillingame, and McDonald.
VanScoter got the start and had the win on the mound. Van Heerde and Hartman combined to not allow any runs or walks in the final 2.1 innings.
With the win in game two and results from Huntington and Spring Arbor, the Maple Leafs have secured a six-seed in the Crossroads League Tournament. They will be playing the three-seed on Wednesday, May 4 at Grand Park at noon.