WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace's softball team came up just short of a sweep against St. Francis on Tuesday.
The Lady Lancers won easily in the first game 8-3 before the Cougars found revenge 3-2 in eight innings after the second game.
A stellar pitching performance from Erin Lawhon and balanced production at the plate led the Lady Lancers (18-17, 11-9 Crossroads League) in the opener.
Lawhon pitched the full seven innings, surrendering two earned runs with six hits and three strikeouts to earn the victory.
Grace scored all eight of its runs in the first three innings. In the first inning Ashley Kleinbub and Emily Bobb hit RBI singles, and Michaela Lee singled with two outs to score both Kleinbub and Bobb.
In the second, Bobb earned another RBI to score Clarissa Knight, and Olivia Scarbrough was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score another. In the third, Mariah Roman and Abby Mozingo plated to give Grace a commanding 8-1 lead.
The Cougars (13-14, 10-11 CL) had baserunners for much of the game, but USF was unable to transform those into runs.
Overall Grace outhit USF 11-6, and seven different Lady Lancers had a hit. Mozingo hit 2-for-3 with two runs and two stolen bases, and Kleinbub batted 2-for-4 with two runs.
Bobb and Lee both had two RBIs and two hits, and Hannah Herbster produced a run and a stolen base.
In the second game, Grace held a 1-0 lead through four full innings. Knight hit a two-out double to score Roman in the third inning.
The Cougars managed to tie the game in the top of the fifth and took the lead with another run in the sixth. Grace struck back in the bottom of the sixth to knot the game when a sacrifice fly from Elaina McClellan allowed Hannah Harless to score.
Hannah England pitched her way out of a major jam in the top of the seventh, but the Lady Lancers were unable to win the game in the bottom half.
USF led off the eighth with a double and eventually took a 3-2 lead after a sac fly. Grace responded with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the eighth to end the contest after eight innings.
Bobb hit 2-for-3, and Mozingo was 2-for-4. Roman was 1-for-3 with a run and a steal.
England pitched all eight innings, giving up three runs and 12 hits in the outing.
The Lady Lancers head down to Indianapolis on Wednesday for a matchup with No. 4 Marian. Grace returns home on Friday against Bethel and Saturday against Spring Arbor.
