WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace's baseball team gave league-leading Huntington all it could handle on Tuesday before coming up short.
The Lancers (12-21-1, 4-12 Crossroads League) narrowly fell in the opener 8-6 before a 6-0 defeat in the second game.
In the opening game, Grace's bats were sharp. The Lancers had seven hits in the contest, and four of those went for extra bases.
Grace was especially potent with the long ball, belting three home runs to give the Foresters (20-7, 13-2 CL) a scare.
After Blake Converset set down Huntington in the top of the first, Grace responded by taking the lead in its first at-bats. Gavin Bussard reached base on a walk and alertly scampered to third on a steal and a passed ball. He then came home to score on a Forester error.
Huntington came back to tie the game in the top of the second, but Chase Baker put Grace on top with a solo blast over the fence in the bottom of the inning.
The Foresters pulled ahead 4-2 after their at-bats in the top of the fifth, but Grace rallied to retake the lead with a three-run fifth. Bussard was hit by a pitch, and Shay Hepler tied the game with a two-run homer to right field.
Two batters later, Xavier Harris flexed Grace's muscle again with a solo home run on a 0-2 pitch to put the Lancers ahead 5-4.
Huntington retook the lead for good in the sixth with a three-run outburst, all three of which were scored with two outs. The Foresters tied the game with a solo homer to left field, despite a tremendous effort defensively at the fence by Baker. Huntington tacked on two more to claim a 7-5 advantage.
Grace seemed poised to strike back in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back singles to start the inning. But the Lancers came up empty trying to bring those runners in to score. Each team scored a single unearned run in the seventh, resulting in the final 8-6 scoreline for Huntington.
Chase Baker finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Cameron Maxwell was 2-for-4 with a double. Bussard scored twice and stole a base, and Hepler was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
In the second game, Huntington got on the scoreboard early. The Foresters scored three runs in the first two innings, giving Huntington the only separation it needed.
Grace's bats were muted in the second game. The Lancers were held to no runs and six hits overall in the nine-inning contest.
Grace still had chances in the game, stranding 11 baserunners overall. The Lancers left the bases loaded in the first and fifth innings and two more in the ninth inning.
Joe Dougherty pitched a strong outing as starter. He gave up two runs in six innings, striking out three to keep the Lancers within striking distance. Jacob Hammel also pitched a clean inning of relief.
Hunter Ackerman batted 2-for-4, Matthew Warren was 1-for-1, and Jamar Bray walked twice.
The Lancers will head to Ohio, playing at Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Friday and Saturday for a three-game series.
