Goshen softball came up one run short in its comeback attempt Tuesday night against Ariton, falling 9-8 in Goshen.

After seven runs in the final four innings, Goshen found itself down 9-8 in the bottom of the seventh inning, but could not complete the rally after Ariton pitcher Hannah Peters retired three-straight Lady Eagle batters to end the game.

“They (Goshen) needed just a little bit more,” Goshen head coach Amy Warrick said. “They just fell a little bit short.”

It was the Lady Eagles who took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the first inning when Kati Thomas drove in one run on a single to left field to give Goshen the 1-0 lead.

After the first inning, however, Goshen’s offense went cold and the Ariton bats heated up.

In the top of the third inning, Lakyn Pratt drove in the Purple Cats’ first two runs of the game, a two-RBI double to give Ariton a 2-1 lead going into the fourth inning.

Goshen’s offense fought back, though, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to regain a 3-2 lead after Kate Warrick drove in Tessa Little on an RBI triple and Katlyn Gamble drove in Warrick on an RBI single.

But defensive errors, which had plagued Goshen all game, came back to bite the Lady Eagles in the top of the fifth when Ariton took a commanding 7-3 lead.

“Errors are what have been killing us lately,” Warrick said. “We have just got to play a little better defense.”

Not to be outdone, Goshen came back with a two-run fifth inning of their own to narrow the Ariton lead to 7-5 after Thomas scored a run on an RBI triple and Fran Warrick drove in Thomas.

After Ariton added two more runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 9-5 lead, Goshen countered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth inning to threaten the Ariton lead.

After Kate Warrick and Gamble reached on singles, Carmen Kelly drove in both runners on a double to center field.

Two batters later, Casey Allen drove in Kelly on a double that hit off the center field wall.

But after holding Ariton scoreless in the top of the seventh inning, Goshen went scoreless in the bottom of the seventh inning, falling one run short of the comeback.

“They (Goshen) were hitting the ball well today,” Warrick said. “We are just trying to get ourselves stronger for the end.”