Goshen’s Emily Mullet breaks up a throw during a stolen base tag attempt from Wawasee’s Alli Ousley. (Photos by Mike Deak)

SYRACUSE – Goshen got hot and never cooled off.

The visiting Lady Redskins sent the boulder rolling downhill, scoring four runs in the fourth inning and kept slugging in a 12-1 win at Wawasee Friday night in Northern Lakes Conference softball.

A two-run homer in the fourth by Emily Mullet, her second of the season, got the ball rolling for Goshen, which tacked on two more runs in the inning for a 5-0 lead. Taylor Caouette added a two-run single an inning later and the rout was on.

“That loss to Concord really tore my girls apart,” said Goshen head coach Cassi McCormack, whose team lost 18-3 to Concord Wednesday night. “We had a really productive practice yesterday and we came out a lot more focused than we had all year today. It really helped us today. We haven’t been embarrassed like that all year like we were at Concord. We were not going to let that happen again.”

Mullet had an RBI single to go with her homer, finishing with three RBIs. Caouette was a perfect four-for-four at the dish with four runs driven in. Goshen as a whole had 13 hits on the night, compared to just three hits for Wawasee.

Wawasee’s Kylee Rostochak fires a pitch to Goshen.

The bulk of the damage was done on Wawasee starter Kylie Norris, who mowed down Plymouth Wednesday, but was touched up by Goshen in her first appearance since. The senior hurler was tagged for seven runs in less than five full innings, not getting out of the fifth inning. Norris seven hits, walked a pair, hit a batter and struck out six.

Reliever Kylee Rostochak didn’t fare much better, only recording one out while giving up five runs, all earned.

Wawasee’s only run came in the sixth inning when Rostochak drove in Norris on an RBI single, which was the only thing that spoiled Caouette’s night. Caouette walked just two and struck out three, letting her defense do the work.

“Taylor just needed confidence in her defense, and we played well behind her,” McCormack said. “It was nice to get a couple runs and a lead, which helped her. She was a lot more relaxed. And for what its worth, the good weather helps. She throws a lot better in warmer weather.”

Goshen (4-13, 1-4 NLC) will take the weekend off and face NorthWood Monday.

Wawasee’s Priscilla Weikart takes a swing from a Taylor Caouette offering Friday night.

Wawasee (3-5, 2-3 NLC) finished its fourth NLC game in five days, and looked every bit the tired bunch having lost three of the four contests to Goshen, at Elkhart Memorial last night and at Northridge Monday. No rest for the weary, however, as the Lady Warriors will pack up and head to Kendallville in the morning for a make-up game with the East Noble Lady Knights.

Once that game is finished, it’s more make-up softball as Wawasee will travel to Lagrange for a contest with the Lakeland Lakers, a rematch of the 2012 sectional final and a make-up game from the first week of the season that was wiped out to cold weather.

“I definitely didn’t expect this,” began Wawasee head coach Hans Griepentrog. “They came out and hit the ball, which they haven’t really done yet. They played well. They didn’t make mistakes on defense and they hit the pitches that were thrown to them. You have to give it up to them, they played well.

“We need to stay confident,” continued Griepentrog. “We lose confidence pretty quick. We get down, except for the Warsaw game last week, we just lose it. Playing every day, it wears on them. It’s tough with the young team we have, but they will learn from it. We are starting a lot of underclassmen, but they will figure it out. It’s a long season and we have a lot of games ahead.”

The Wawasee JV had its bats working just fine, erupting for 11 runs in an 11-1 win over Goshen Friday night.