WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace's softball team produced a convincing sweep of Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Monday.

The Lady Lancers (16-13, 9-7 Crossroads League) took the opening game 7-1 before concluding the sweep 9-1 in a run-rule shortened second game at Miller Field.

Grace impressed on both sides of the field in the opener to win 7-1. Chandler Elliott put together a strong performance from the mound, going the distance for the complete-game victory. She allowed seven hits with five strikeouts to earn the win.

The Lady Lancers engineered a run in four of the six innings they batted. Brooke Shell led off the bottom of the first with a single and eventually came around to score on a ground ball by Elliott.

In the third inning, Grace hit five consecutive singles to start the inning. Clarissa Knight and Elliott each singled in a run to expand the Lady Lancers' edge to 3-0. Alex Shipley singled and later plated in the fourth, and Grace tallied three more runs in the sixth.

After the first two batters were retired in Grace's half of the sixth, the Lady Lancers produced a two-out rally. Grace hit safely in its next three at-bats then put another runner on via error. Elliott drove in the third run of the inning with a single.

Elliott finished off the Cougars in the seventh with a three-up, three-down inning.

Shell was 3-for-3 with three runs, and Morgan Hutcheson was 2-for-3 with two runs. Samantha Johnson was 2-for-3, and Elliott hit 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Ashley Kleinbub also notched two hits in the game.

Grace held the Cougars (10-15, 7-9 CL) to four hits in the second game en route to the 9-1 win. Amanda Bowman tossed the first four innings from the mound to get the win, and Hannah Adams pitched the final two scoreless innings.

MVNU got on the scoreboard first with a run off a sacrifice fly in the second inning. Grace responded with three runs in the third inning and never trailed again. Shell doubled in the first run, and Elliott's single drove in Shell and Johnson.

Johnson sparked a two-out rally in the fourth inning, lacing a two-run triple to the outfield. In the fifth inning, another two-out triple keyed two more runs. Morgan Hutcheson's triple put Grace ahead 7-1. Hutcheson then scampered home from third off a wild pitch.

The game ended prematurely due to the run rule in the sixth inning. Johnson led off the inning with a walk and promptly stole second. A ground ball moved Johnson to third base, and Ashley Kleinbub's hit drove in Johnson for the winning run.

Johnson was a perfect 3-for-3 with 3 steals, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Hutcheson hit 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, and Shell batted 2-for-4. Brittany Melzoni also plated twice.

The Lady Lancers' busy week features four more home dates at Miller Field. Grace hosts Taylor on Tuesday, Huntington on Wednesday, St. Francis on Friday and Goshen on Saturday in a pivotal league week for the Lady Lancers.