Top Of Order Comes Alive As Goshen, Siena Heights Split
GOSHEN, Ind. — Brad Stoltzfus doubled twice and nearly reached second base in three straight at bats in the opener while Vincent Caschera racked up four hits across both ends of a doubleheader when Goshen College split with Siena Heights University, winning 9-3 and losing 7-1 in non-conference college baseball Tuesday afternoon at J. Harold “Sarge” Yoder Field.
The Maple Leafs (17-16-1) scored four runs in their first offensive inning of the day, with Preston Carr opening the scoring three batters in after a hit batter and Caschera double. Caschera and Ryan Hartig came in on a Connor Clemens single through the right side with Spenser Triplett knocking in the fourth run on a wind-blown double to right.
In hindsight, four runs would be enough for starting pitcher Colby Malson, who picked up his second collegiate win after throwing six 6-hit innings and allowing two scores. GC chipped in insurance runs in the second and fourth innings anyway, using sacrifice flies from Clinton Stroble II and Caschera to stretch its lead to 5-0.
Both scores charged to Malson came in the fifth inning, which started with two singles sandwiching an RBI groundout before John Watts added a run-scoring double. The Goshen offense retaliated with five straight hits to start the bottom of the inning, however: Stoltzfus was tagged out trying to stretch a run-scoring single into a double before Caschera, Stroble and Hartig all laced legitimate two-baggers.
The Saints (11-20) added their third run in the seventh off reliever Travis Grimm, pairing a Jake Jones leadoff double with a two-out single by Brenden Green. Jones and Green were the only two SHU players to post multiple hits while Stoltzfus added three and Carr and Caschera had two apiece for GC.
Erich Klingelhofer took the loss for Siena Heights after giving up six runs in four innings.
Neither team scored in the first three frames of the nightcap despite six combined hits and seven men left on base.
Siena Heights’ first breakthrough came on a two-out single by leadoff man Freddy Jehle in the fourth inning. Caschera and Stroble led off the bottom of the fourth with hits for GC before pitcher Ryan Oliver made a diving stab of a Ryan Hartig bunt and doubled the runner off first; had the bunt fallen closer to the third-base foul line and out of Oliver’s reach, it would have loaded the bases with no outs.
The Saints added four unearned runs off a trio of pitchers in the fifth, aided by a pair of fielding errors: two RBI singles and a sacrifice fly did the rest of the damage. Deric Cain singled an inning later to give the Saints their largest lead, 7-0 after 5 1/2 innings.
Goshen scratched out its run on a Stroble double with two outs in the sixth: Stoltzfus crossed the plate after reaching on a fielder’s choice.
Each starter lasted four innings and took the decision: Oliver threw 52 pitches and allowed four hits while Goshen’s Brad Lantz allowed six hits and two runs on 71 tosses.
Caschera and Stroble each reached base twice in the nightcap: SHU right fielder Carson Vlad led all players with four singles while Jehle added three.
Goshen is set to return to Crossroads League play for its next eight games, beginning with a three-game home series against Mount Vernon Nazarene University this weekend. The set begins with a single game at 3 p.m. Friday, followed by a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday with all three games streaming live at GoLeafs.net/live.
