Goshen rallies past Bethel 11-4 behind Diamond’s fifth-inning homer
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BET | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| GOS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | X | 11 |
Goshen College turned a midgame deficit into an 11-4 softball win over Bethel on Wednesday afternoon at the Ingold Complex, using a five-run fifth inning and a strong relief outing from Shay Pipher to take control. The decisive swing came from Bianca Diamond, whose three-run homer down the left-field line capped the surge that put the Maple Leafs ahead for good.
Goshen finished with 11 runs on 12 hits and did not commit an error in the seven-inning game. Bethel took a 4-2 lead after scoring three times in the third on Harmony Looney’s home run and adding another run in the fourth, but the Maple Leafs answered in the bottom half to tie it before breaking the game open in the fifth. Goshen added two more runs in the sixth for insurance and improved the day with a complete team response after falling behind.
The Maple Leafs struck first in the opening inning. Tatem Adams doubled to center, and Audrey White and Diamond scored on the play as a throwing error helped Goshen grab a 2-0 lead. Bethel swung momentum in the third when Looney sent a three-run shot down the left-field line for a 3-2 advantage, then pushed the margin to 4-2 in the fourth when a hit-by-pitch brought home Paxton Baker.
Goshen’s answer started immediately in the bottom of the fourth with two runs to even the score at 4-4. An inning later, the Maple Leafs delivered the game’s defining stretch. Goshen scored five runs in the fifth, with Diamond providing the biggest blow on her three-run homer off Alysa Fritz. Diamond finished 3 for 3 with two runs scored, four RBIs, a home run and a stolen base, powering the middle of the lineup as Goshen pulled away.
In the circle, Adams started and worked 3.1 innings, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out four. Pipher settled the game from there, covering the final 3.2 innings and earning the win after allowing just two hits and striking out three. Bethel starter Madelynn Queen went 4.2 innings and was charged with eight runs, five earned.
Goshen closed out the scoring in the sixth. Celeste Gutierrez doubled in a run, and Hayden McGuire followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 11-4. Backed by clean defense, timely hitting and Pipher’s steady relief work, the Maple Leafs finished off the comeback in front of 57 fans on a 62-degree afternoon in Goshen.
