WINONA LAKE, Ind. – After being swept in the season series last year, Grace's baseball team split with Indiana Wesleyan on Friday.
The Lancers claimed a 3-2 walkoff win in the first game, but the Wildcats got revenge in the second game with a 14-2 victory at Miller Athletic Complex.
In the opener, Grace won in walkoff fashion by the score of 3-2. Gavin Bussard provided the game-winning moment, singling to the right side to allow Jon Bailey to score in the bottom of the seventh.
Earlier in the game, Hunter Ackerman put Grace ahead 2-1 with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. But IWU responded with a run in the sixth to tie the contest, using a hit and an error to make the score 2-2.
Logan Grigsby, who pitched the complete game, retired IWU in the top of the seventh to set the stage for the walkoff moment. Ackerman blasted a double to deep left-centerfield, moving Bailey to third base. Bussard then stepped up and drove in Bailey with a single.
Grigsby struck out nine batters in the complete game victory, allowing 5 hits, 3 walks and 2 runs in an impressive performance.
Ackerman was 2-for-3 with a double and a home run, and Jason Stevens was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
In the second game, home runs abounded on a windy afternoon. The game saw five homers sail across the outfield fence; four of which belonged to the Wildcats (16-13, 3-1 Crossroads League).
IWU scored multiple runs in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings, including a six-run fourth.
Bussard was responsible for both of Grace's runs in the contest. He hit a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the first.
In the third, Bussard doubled to the outfield fence, allowing Ackerman to speed around from first base to score.
Unfortunately for the Lancers (10-11-1, 2-3 CL), Grace was unable to string together any other run-scoring runs.
Grace went through six pitchers. Derrick Grass was the most effective hurler, tossing a clean seventh inning in relief with a strikeout and no hits allowed.
Bussard was 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. Austin Baker had a double, and Ackerman tallied a hit and a run.
The Lancers will take on the Wildcats again on Saturday. The game was moved to IWU for a 12 p.m. start due to heavy rain forecasted in Winona Lake, Ind.
