Elkhart Times

Maple Leafs dominate against Florida Memorial, beat preseason #4 team in eight innings in game two

After two losses to start their trip in Florida, the Maple Leafs softball team bounced back with two big wins on Tuesday. Goshen only needed five innings to take down Florida Memorial 9-1 and then went to an extra inning before defeating Southeastern 9-8 in game two. Southeastern is the preseason #4 team in the NAIA and had a 52-13 record last season.

"Today was a total team effort," said head coach Luke Wagner. "From the moment we pulled into the parking lots, the ladies remained focused on the little things, and those little things make a big difference."

The Maple Leafs scored in five of the six innings they played against Florida Memorial while Shea VanScoter held the Lions to one run.

Ella McLeod hit an RBI single up the middle in the first and Kaylee Kates came home to score the first Goshen run. In the second inning, it was Kates with the single up the middle. She moved to second on a throwing error and Peyton Foreman scored the unearned run.

The Leafs powered through with four runs on five hits in the third inning. Mckenzie Richardson stepped up to the plate with two runners on and singled to left, scoring Alyssa McDonald. Florida Memorial made a pitching change, but the Leafs weren't deterred. Kyra Wilson hit an RBI single that scored Ellie Van Heerde and Peyton Foreman came up in the next at-bat and hit a double to left-center that scored two more runs, extending Goshen's lead to 6-0.

Goshen piled on three more hits in the fourth inning. Van Heerde hit an RBI single and stole second. Then Richardson scored two runners with her double to left field. Richardson finished the day going 2-3 with three RBIs.

Bernadette Quintero hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth that resulted in Goshen's final run. The Lions first got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when Aashana Francis scored on a wild pitch from third. But with an eight-run lead, Goshen won by mercy rule 9-1.

Shea VanScoter was the only Goshen pitcher used in the game. In five innings on the mound she struck out five and walked one while allowing one earned run. In addition to Mckenzie Richardson, Ella Mcleod, Ellie Van Heerde and Peyton Foreman all had multiple hits for the Leafs. Goshen's nine runs came from eight different players.

Goshen got on the board first when Mckenzie Richardson reached base on an error and Alyssa McDonald scored in the second inning. Peyton Foreman hit a sac fly later on that brought Goshen's second run across.

The Fire came back with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Lauren Sekinger hit a two-RBI single and Jamie Mead added a two-RBI double. Down 4-2, the Leafs closed the gap with a triple to left center from Shea VanScoter that scored Kaylee Kates. VanScoter scored to completely eliminate the deficit later in the inning off of Ella McLeod's RBI single.

Southeastern scored a run in the fourth, but GC built up a three-run lead by scoring in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Richardson hit an RBI single in the fifth that was followed by a sacrifice lineout to right field by Bianca Diamond. In the sixth, Kates hit an RBI single and Diamond picked up another RBI in the seventh with a single up the middle to make it 8-5.

The Fire scored three runs on three hits in the seventh to tie it up. Alisyn Catenacci got the final batter to foul out to left field to end the inning and send the game to extras.

In the top of the eighth, Kates' RBI single to left gave Goshen the edge at 9-8. Catenacci came back to pitch in the bottom of the inning and got three quick outs to seal the deal.

"Our pitching was exceptional all day and our defense played really strong behind them," shared Wagner. "Offensively, each athlete up and down the lineup had a plan at the plate. The hitters did a tremendous job of getting on base and then driving in runs."

Liliana Herrera got the start, allowing four earned runs in four innings. Catenacci didn't allow any runs or hits in her 1.2 innings on the mound at the end. Kates went 3-5 with two RBIs, a run and a double. Alyssa McDonald was 3-5 with two runs scored. Ella McLeod went 2-4 with two runs and an RBI and Mckenzie Richardson had a 2-3 game with a run and an RBI.

"These young ladies continue to grow as individuals, but more importantly, as a team," said Wagner. "Every time out we learn more about what we are capable of when we play together and trust one another."

Southeastern made it to the NAIA Softball World Series last season with a 52-13 overall record and a 23-4 record in The Sun Conference. They are 3-7 to start this season.

Original source can be found here.