Grace splits against Maple Leafs
GOSHEN, Ind. – For the ninth time this season, Grace’s baseball team earned a doubleheader split or better. This time on the road at Goshen, falling 11-5 and winning 9-7.
In the opener, the Maple Leafs scored a run in their first at-bat, but Grace responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second to edge ahead. Sam Newkirk led off the inning with a walk and scored from first base on a Sean Gannon double to center. After a sacrifice bunt, Grant Hartley drove in the second run with an RBI single.
The lead was short-lived as Goshen benefited from two errors in the inning to plate five runs in second to regain the upper hand.
Two more Grace runs came across in the third when Maximo De Leon scored on an Austin Carr double. He later touched home on a sacrifice fly from Gannon.
The Maple Leafs added five runs over the next six innings to put the game out of reach. Grace added its final run of the game in the seventh. Jeff Pawlik’s RBI single drove in Keenan LeBlanc.
Hartley and Carr each recorded two hits in game one. Gannon had a productive game with one hit, 2 RBIs and a run.
Game two came down to the final at-bat for each team. With the score deadlocked at seven in the final inning, Grace broke the tie with a walk and a pair of singles to plate the go-ahead runs.
Newkirk earned the free pass and immediately stole second to move into scoring position. Gannon’s RBI single brought him home to put the Lancers ahead. Hartley, two batters later, added an insurance run with his RBI single to make the score 9-7.
Despite Grace scoring first, Goshen took the lead in the bottom of the first with three runs. Not to be outdone, the Lancers exploded for four runs in the second. John Joyce clubbed a two-run homer to tie the game at three. De Leon added an RBI double and Pawlik capped off the inning with an RBI groundout.
The Lancers added their second big-fly of the game in the next inning on a two-run Hartley dinger to increase the lead to four.
The Maple Leafs would draw even with four runs in the fourth. Both teams were kept off the scoresheet until the seventh when Grace pulled ahead late and sealed the 9-7 victory.
Hunter Schumacher continued his dominance on the mound, earning the victory to move to 2-0 on the season. He pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing zero runs with two strikeouts.
Josh Cosme and Bradyn McIntosh each went 2 for 4 with two runs. Hartley added 2 hits, 3 RBIs, 1 walk and a run. Joyce contributed 1 hit, 1 run and 2 RBIs.
Grace will continue its road trip with a four-game series at Spring Arbor on April 5-6. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. each day.