GOSHEN, Ind. — The US Highway 20 Cup series kicked off in Goshen as the Maple Leafs (13-3, 2-0) hosted the Bethel Pilots (5-9, 0-2). The Pilots fell 8-7 in game one and 8-0 (6 inn.) in game two.
GAME 1
The ball left the yard early for the Maple Leafs with a three-run homer in the top of the first and hit a solo home run later in the inning and shot to a quick 4-0 lead.
Harmony Loony answered with a solo home run at the top of the second, and then Meghan Younger roped a sacrifice fly to the center in the top of the fifth, scoring Mackenzie Navarrete to cut the lead in half, 4-2. Goshen hit another solo homer in the top of the fifth and grew to a three-run lead at 5-2.
The Pilots had a big five-run top of the seventh with Alyssa Forys plating Averie Markel from an error by the third baseman. Madison Shaw singled to left and scored Morgan Blubaum, who went 2-for-3 on the plate in game one.
Kate Cooper smacked a sacrifice fly to the right, and then Maggie Robbins forced an error to take the lead 6-5. Looney lined out to center field to plate Shaw for one more insurance run, but Goshen walked off the Pilots in the bottom of the seventh on a three-run home run, the fifth home run of the game and the fourth for Goshen, to win 8-7.
Ryann Norris (3-5) pitched a complete game, allowing eight runs and eight hits, walking five and striking rock out five.
GAME 2
The Maple Leafs scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth from a two-RBI single, then tacked on one more in the fourth, 4-0.
Also, in the five-run fourth, Goshen took advantage of an error by the first baseman, then a single to left scored the sixth run, and an error by the shortstop scored the seventh.
Goshen scored the eighth run by a single to center, forced the eight-run rule, and won 8-0.
Harmony Looney (0-6) threw a complete game, allowed 13 hits, eight runs (four earned), and walked one and struck out four.
NEXT TIME OUT
The Pilots continued the Crossroads League campaign with the Spring Arbor Cougars on Friday, Mar. 15, at 3 p.m. for a doubleheader in Spring Arbor, Mich.