GOSHEN, Ind. - Esme Pico had a dominant complete game shutout in which she needed to throw just 70 pitches in Goshen's 1-0 win over Mount Vernon Nazarene on Friday afternoon. The Cougars won game two 7-4.

Game One
The pitcher's duel took just 68 minutes to complete. The one run from the game came in the first inning on a leadoff home run by Shea VanScoter. It was her second leadoff home run in the last three games, and Goshen ended up winning both contests.

Goshen only had two other hits in the game - singles from Ella Mcleod and Ellie Van Heerde, but the one run was all the run support that Esme Pico needed. Pico only had two strikeouts, but the Cougars had 14 flyouts. She allowed a hit in the fourth inning, and the second came in the seventh. MVNU left runners at first and second in the seventh after a popup ended the game. Pico's record is 6-4 this year with the win. This week, she has allowed two earned runs and just two walks in 14 innings. She has thrown just 141 pitches in that span.

Game Two
Mount Vernon had an easier time scoring runs in the second game of the day. Goshen made a late push, but the visitors held them off.

The third batter of the game for MVNU hit a two-run home run and they followed it later in the inning with an RBI single. The Cougars took the lead to 6-0 from a couple more run-producing singles in the second inning. In the third inning, with starter Camryn Barrows out of the game and Grace Schmitt in the circle, Mount Vernon had one more RBI single to make it 7-0. However, Schmitt didn't allow any more runs after that, and she pitched through the seventh inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Kamille Badibanga scored Goshen's first run when she went from third to home on a passed ball. Lily Robles advanced to third on the play and later scored on a wild pitch. Badibanga stole second in the seventh inning, and Hailey Elgan scored on a muffed throw by the second baseman. Badibanga scored her second run of the game when Ellie Van Heerde singled down the right-field line. The next at-bat ended in a flyout, with the final score being 7-4.

Goshen's three hits were all singles, from Bianca Diamond, Ellie Van Heerde and Rachel Kates. Badibanga scored twice and had two stolen bases. Those were the first two runs she scored this season and her second and third stolen bases.

The Maple Leafs host Grace on Saturday, April 20, at 1:00 pm. Six seniors will be recognized before game one at 12:40 pm.