Lancers upset Marian, to play for league title
UPLAND, Ind. – The “Cinderella Men” are still dancing. Grace’s baseball team, the No. 8 seed in the Crossroads League Tournament, pounded Marian 13-0 on Monday in the semifinals.
Grace will play for its first tournament championship on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Upland, Ind., against a opponent not yet determined. The Lancers, as the only undefeated team left in the bracket, would need to be beaten twice. If Grace were to lose on Tuesday, the Lancers would play again for the title in Upland on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Aaron Voirol was the hero on the mound Monday. The senior pitched the game of his career, throwing a two-hitter across the complete nine innings.
Voirol struck out 12 Knights and only walked one in a commanding performance.
Grace’s offense gave Voirol ample support to win the game. The Lancers (17-25) packed all 13 runs into three separate innings.
The scoring started in the second inning. Mitchell Enyart, Ethan Brooks and Jacob Sapp singled to load the bases. RJ Snyder then doubled to bring in a pair, and David Anderson’s long fly ball allowed two more to score for a 4-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Xavier Harris’s sacrifice fly allowed Wyatt Buzbee to race home to make the score 5-0.
The game was put out of reach with a dominant seventh inning. Mullett and Chris Griffin scored early in the inning with no outs, and Houston Haney soon after hit a two-run home run to put Grace ahead by nine.
Mullett put the exclamation mark on the game with two outs in the seventh. He parked a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam, producing the final 13-0 scoreline.
Voirol and Grace’s defense had little trouble retiring the Knights (27-19) over the final three innings.
Mullett had a memorable day at the plate, going 2 for 2 with two runs and four RBIs, and Haney and Anderson were both 2 for 5 with a run and two RBIs.
Snyder drove in two and had two hits, Buzbee plated three times, and Sapp hit 3 for 4. Harris batted 2 for 3, Enyart was 2 for 6 with two runs scored, and Griffin was also 2 for 6 with an RBI and a run.
The Lancers are seeking their first league championship since 1984. Grace is also one win away from qualifying for the NAIA National Championships for the first time in program history.