GOSHEN, Ind. — On day one of the US Highway 20 Cup series, the Bethel Pilots (6-10, 1-5) split games one and two to the Goshen Maple Leafs (6-11, 2-4) by way of a 7-2 Pilot win and a 6-1 Goshen victory on Thursday.
GAME 1
Three Pilots had multi-hit games, including Jacob Sitterly, 2-for-4 with a single and a home run for two RBIs; Cooper Tolson roped a couple of singles and went 2-for-4 at the plate; Jesse Stout went 2-for-3 with a couple of singles and was hit by a pitch, and Thomas Dolan went 2-for-3 with two laced doubles.
Jacob Sitterly drove in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly that plated Ambrose in the top of the third, followed by Dominic Deisler’s single to right, and Jesse Stout roped one to left to put up a three spot. The Maple Leafs answered with one run in the bottom of the third with an RBI single to left center.
Sitterly put another run on the board with a solo home run in the top of the fifth for the Pilots’ fourth run, then Seth Ambrose drew a walk on a wild pitch that scored Stout in the top of the sixth. Andrew Dillon followed with an RBI single to center, growing the Pilot lead to 7-1.
The Maple Leafs put one more run on the board in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single to left, but the Pilots took game one 7-2.
Frank Plesac (2-2) went the deepest into his start this season, pitching 7.2 innings and keeping Goshen to two runs, seven hits, two walks, and an incredible 12 strikeouts, two away from his career-high. Peyton Ring closed the game with a clean slate and finished the job in 12 pitches.
GAME 2
The Maple Leaf bats were hot in the first inning, putting up two runs with an RBI single to right center and a ground-rule double down the left field line. In the bottom of the second, Goshen singled down the right field line and scored on a fielder’s choice to the third baseman to increase the Goshen lead to a quick 5-0.
Corbin Greenslade got a run back in the top of the sixth with a single to right center, but Dolan was scored by a throwing error by the center fielder, and the Pilots got on the board 5-1. Goshen capped off their scoring in the bottom of the sixth with a sacrifice fly to center and sealed their game-two win 6-1.
Brad VanOverberghe was given the loss after tossing four innings and allowing five hits, five runs, walked six batters and struck out four. Ethan Lengfelder came in for relief in the fifth, closed the game with one line of one hit, one run (none earned), and walked one.
THE US HIGHWAY 20 CUP CONTINUES
On Saturday, Mar. 9, games three and four of the series will start at noon for a nine-inning bout in game one and a seven-inning game to cap off the series.