Pico’s early homer puts Goshen ahead, but Huntington pulls away with six-run fourth
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOS | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| HUN | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | X | 10 |
Goshen College carried a lead into the bottom of the fourth inning Tuesday afternoon, but Huntington turned the game with one big rally and went on to hand the Maple Leafs a 10-3 loss in Huntington, Indiana. The decisive stretch came in the fourth, when Huntington scored six runs to erase a 3-2 deficit and build an 8-3 advantage.
The Maple Leafs answered an early Huntington run with a strong swing from Esme Pico in the top of the second. Pico hit a two-run home run to give Goshen a 2-1 lead. Huntington tied the game in the bottom half when Kasey Hickle tripled to right field and drove in a run, but Goshen moved back in front in the fourth on Ella McLeod’s RBI single for a 3-2 edge.
That lead did not last long. Huntington’s offense broke through in the bottom of the fourth with its biggest inning of the day. Makinzie Kline delivered a two-run single, and pinch-hitter Akasha Burton added a two-RBI single as Huntington sent six runs across to seize control. The home team added two more runs in the sixth, with Gaby Hypes singling and Kailee Bishop driving in a run to stretch the margin to 10-3.
Pico was one of Goshen’s bright spots throughout the game. She finished 2 for 2 with the home run and two RBIs, accounting for much of the Maple Leafs’ early offense while also working 5.2 innings in the circle. Celeste Gutierrez added two hits, including a double, and scored a run as Goshen finished with six hits, one home run, two doubles and one triple.
In the circle, Huntington starter Kinzie Mollenkopf went the distance and limited Goshen to three runs on six hits over seven innings. She struck out three and walked two on 83 pitches. Goshen’s staff was charged with 10 runs, nine earned, on 12 hits, while Huntington also took advantage of four walks and finished with three stolen bases.
Kline led Huntington’s lineup by going 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Burton made her lone at-bat count with two RBIs off the bench. For Goshen, the game turned on the six-run fourth after the Maple Leafs had pieced together a 3-2 lead and put themselves in position to chase a road win.
