MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - After an eight game win streak, Goshen softball has now lost five games in a row, though three of those have been in extra-innings. On Thursday in Ohio, Mount Vernon Nazarene beat Goshen 6-2 and then 7-6 in nine innings.

With Grace's game two loss at Taylor, the Goshen softball team has clinched a spot in the Crossroads League tournament.

Game One
Shea VanScoter led off the first inning by getting hit by a pitch and then stealing second. She advanced to third on a popup and then scored from a Bianca Diamond sac fly. 

The Cougars had three separate RBI singles in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead. The score stayed 3-1 after four innings with GC starter Camryn Barrows in the circle. Goshen's first hit came in the fourth inning with Bianca Diamond hitting a single and the second came as Grace Schmitt homered in the fifth, her second this month. That was the last hit for Goshen though, and MVNU scored three more runs over the fifth and sixth innings. They finished with 12 hits overall.

Barrows had the loss, allowing six earned runs over six innings. She threw four strikeouts and allowed three walks. Shea VanScoter, Bianca Diamond and Ella Mcleod had stolen bases for Goshen.

Game Two
The teams combined for 28 hits in game two, which went nine innings and nearly three hours.

Goshen scored in the first three innings with RBI doubles from Alyssa McDonald and Shea VanScoter and an RBI single from Grace Schmitt. Esme Pico had the start and held Mount Vernon scoreless in the first two innings, but the Cougars scored twice in the third and once in the fourth. In the fifth, Schmitt connected again for GC with an RBI single. Ella Mcloed came in to pinch hit and singled. After an errant throw, Kaylee Kates scored to make it 6-3.

The lead wasn't safe though. The home team had a pair of RBI doubles in the fifth and a sac fly in the bottom of the seventh. In extras, Goshen left runners at first and second in the eighth and MVNU left a runner at second. Bianca Diamond singled in the ninth but was caught stealing. After two flyouts in the bottom of the ninth, the Cougars hit back-to-back singles followed by a walk to load the bases. Then the RBI single came through to give them a 7-6 win.

Esme Pico went four innings with four earned runs on eight hits. Tatem Adams pitched an inning without give up any earned runs. The loss went to Shea VanScoter, who allowed two earned runs over the final 3.2 innings. Four players had multiple hits for Goshen - Alyssa McDonald, Bianca Diamond, Grace Schmitt and Carissa Fillingame. Fillingame, McDonald and VanScoter had doubles.

The Maple Leafs host Huntington on Saturday, April 19, at 1:00 pm.