GOSHEN, Ind. – The Spring Arbor University baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader with Goshen College, winning game two of the afternoon 12-2 to earn the series win over the Maple Leafs.

A six-run fifth inning by Spring Arbor blew the game open, and the Cougars knocked out a season-high 19 hits in the win.

Prior to the 12-2 victory in the series finale, SAU dropped game one of the day, falling to Goshen 10-7.

THE BASICS

SCORES: Spring Arbor 7, Goshen 10;

Spring Arbor 12, Goshen 2

LOCATION: "Sarge" Yoder Field | Goshen, Ind.

RECORDS: Spring Arbor 9-12 (2-1 CL), Goshen 8-11 (1-2 CL)

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• Goshen led 4-1 through three innings, and 7-2 after five.
• Spring Arbor cut into the deficit with three runs in the sixth inning. Danilo Leon and Jacob King reached base to start the rally, and a double from Josiah Kitchen would bring home Leon. Two batters later, a pinch-hit single by Peyton Harding would plate King and Kitchen.
• The Maple Leafs came right back with three runs in the home half of the frame.
• The Cougars threatened in the seventh, scoring twice on a sacrifice fly by Leon and another RBI double from Kitchen, but the Leafs would escape the jam to hold on for the victory and even the series.
• Kitchen went 2-for-4 with two RBI's and two runs scored. Francisco Ondina also collected two hits and scored.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• Spring Arbor got off to a fast start in the nightcap. A sacrifice fly from Vincent Herschberger gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead in the first inning and an RBI single from James Hall doubled the lead an inning later.
• With the score tied 2-2, Spring Arbor exploded for six runs on eight hits in the fifth inning. With one run already in and the bases loaded, Danilo Leon delivered a two-RBI double to chase Goshen's starting pitcher. Jacob King greeted the new arm with a base hit to bring in two more runs and increase the lead to 7-2. James Hall capped the scoring with an RBI single, bringing home Josiah Kitchen.
• One inning later, Kitchen came through with a two-out, two-RBI hit to give SAU a 12-2 lead.
• Every starter recorded at least one hit. King went 3-for-4 with two RBI's while Hall also went 3-for-4 with two RBI's and a run scored.
• Duncan Patterson went the distance on the mound allowing just two runs on four hits over seven innings. He also tied his career-high with eight strikeouts.

QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH RYAN MARKEN

• "I loved how hard we competed. We got a great pitching performance from Patterson in the series finale and our offense worked really hard at the plate all day."
• "Our number one goal is to win every series, and we did just that today. Proud of our young men."

UP NEXT

Spring Arbor visits Bethel College (9-10, 1-2 CL) on Tuesday, Mar. 20 before returning home to host Rochester College (3-12) in a doubleheader on Wednesday, Mar. 21 in its home opener.

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