FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Grace's baseball team was unable to get the better of St. Francis on the road Tuesday.

A day after erupting for five home runs, the Lancers (9-10-1, 1-2 Crossroads League) were muted offensively against USF in a 5-1, 4-3 pair of defeats.

Grace was doomed by fielding errors in the opener. The Lancers had four errors and only four hits in the first game.

The Cougars (7-21-1, 2-3 CL) actually fell behind 1-0 after three innings. Cam Maxwell and Xavier Harris led off the third inning with consecutive walks, and Austin Baker singled to score the first run of the game for Grace. A double play and a strikeout prevented Grace from tacking on more runs.

USF tied the game in the fourth with a run, and the Cougars pulled ahead with four more runs over the next two innings. Grace could not generate a rally as Baker's seventh-inning single was the only hit by the Lancers over the final four innings.

Joe Dougherty gave up two earned runs in 4.2 innings as the starter. Baker hit 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases, and Jason Stevens and Gavin Bussard each had a hit.

In the second game, Grace went ahead early again. The Lancers scored in the top of the second, using a double from Austin Baker and a ground ball from Jamar Bray to make the score 1-0.

In response the Cougars plated three times in the bottom of the third to take the lead for good. USF scored an insurance run in the eighth, which proved to be valuable.

Grace made a valiant push in its final at-bats of the ninth inning. Stevens walked and promptly stole second, and Matthew Warren had a pinch-hit single to score Stevens. Bussard had a ground ball that scored Warren later in the inning to trim the Lancers' deficit to 4-3. But with the tying run on base, a game-tying swing could not be found for Grace. The Lancers' threat was neutralized with a fielders's choice and a fly ball.

David Anderson was the pitcher of record for Grace, tossing five innings while allowing three earned runs. Aaron Voriol went three strong innings in relief from the mound, yielding just one earned run.

Stevens, Austin Baker and Warren each had a hit and a run.

The Lancers' next games are a weekend series at home against Indiana Wesleyan. Grace hosts IWU on Friday at 3 p.m. and on Saturday at 1 p.m.