Grace Softball registers second straight sweep
HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Grace’s softball team continued its hot play to begin Crossroads League play.
The Lady Lancers swept Huntington on Wednesday, improving to 4-0 to begin league play.
Grace won two very different games, with the first game totaling one run and the second game having 20.
The opener was a pitchers’ duel which went in Grace’s favor by the score of 1-0. The game saw just one run scored, which happened late in the game.
Jeri Ellis was spectacular from the mound, throwing all seven innings in shutout fashion to set the stage for Grace’s win. She allowed four hits with zero walks.
The winning moment came in the sixth inning. Taylor Hodgen singled and moved to second after a walk. With two outs in the inning, Ellis drove in the game-winning run with a double to score Hodgen.
Ellis took care of the rest, getting Huntington out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to give Grace its third conference win in as many games.
In the second game, Grace won 13-7 as both teams scored often.
The Lady Lancers jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings, sparked by a two-run double from Bree Gardinier.
The Foresters responded with three runs in the bottom of the third, but Grace tallied three more runs in the fifth to grab a 6-3 lead. Ellis had an RBI single, and Cassandra Hayes tripled to bring in Ellis.
The Foresters rallied in the bottom of the fifth, pushing across for runs to take their first lead of the day at 7-6.
Grace countered in its next at-bats. Bethany Gardner scored to tie the game, and Jessica Kaurich drove in Ellis to put the Lady Lancers ahead.
The Lady Lancers put the game out of reach with a five-run outburst in the seventh. Hayes capped off Grace’s sweep with a three-run homer for the final 13-7 margin of victory.
Hayes hit 3 for 3 with four RBIs, and Ellis was 3 for 5 with three runs and two RBIs.
Izabela Duran had 2 hits, 3 runs and 1 stolen base, and Gardner had 2 hits, 2 runs, 1 RBI and 1 steal.
Kaurich and Gardinier each drove in two runs.
Kierstin Fickas pitched the first four innings, and Madison Bremer tossed the final three. Bremer allowed four hits and one run in her relief appearance.
The Lady Lancers return to league play again tomorrow with a doubleheader at Taylor at 3 p.m.
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