WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace's baseball team was held to two runs in a doubleheader defeat to Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Tuesday.
The Lancers (15-13, 2-4 Crossroads League) were defeated 9-0 and 8-2 at Miller Athletic Complex.
In the opener, Grace's bats were muted by the Cougars (17-12, 3-3 CL). The Lancers were unable to produce a baserunner over the first four innings.
Jamar Bray earned Grace's first hit when he doubled down the left field line to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Bray eventually reached third base, but the Lancers were unable to bring him in.
Mt. Vernon, on the other hand, scored at least a run in each of the first four innings. The Cougars pulled ahead 8-0 after four innings.
The Cougars tacked on their ninth run in the sixth and threatened to score more in the seventh. Wesley Gensch came in as relief pitcher with the bases loaded and one out, and the senior shut down Mt. Vernon with a strike out and a ground ball.
Grace was outhit 17-3 in the game. Jamar Bray was responsible for two of Grace's hits and was 2-for-3 from the plate.
In the second game, Mt. Vernon struck first again with a run in the top of the first. The Cougars scored two more runs in the third inning, plating both runs with two outs in the inning to take a 3-0 lead.
The Lancers earned their first run of the day in the third inning. Hunter Ackerman doubled down the left field line with two outs, and Jakob Radjenovich singled on the next at-bat to score his fellow freshman.
Grace was unable to generate much offensively for the rest of the game. The Lancers were held to five hits in the contest.
In Grace's final at-bats in the seventh inning, Austin Baker pinch hit for single and moved to second base on a ground ball. A throwing error by the Cougars allowed Baker to charge home from second base. The game ended, however, on the next at-bat with a strikeout.
Jakob Radjenovich finished the game 2-for-4, and Xavier Harris was 1-for-3.
On Thursday, Grace will head to Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., to play Indiana Wesleyan in a doubleheader.
