WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace's baseball team split a doubleheader on Tuesday with Indiana Wesleyan.
The Lancers (13-20, 9-12 Crossroads League) used the long ball to win the opener 3-1 before falling 11-1 in the second game.
The opening game saw all four runs scored from home runs. The game was evenly played from a statistical side with each team accounting for six hits and one walk.
But Grace won the game with a trio of solo home runs.
Each team homered in the second inning. The Wildcats struck first with a leadoff solo shot to right field, but Houston Haney quickly ended any further threat with three straight strikeouts.
Ethan Brooks responded with a two-out home run in the bottom of the second to tie the score.
Both teams threatened in the fourth with runners in scoring position, but neither side was able to score.
In the fifth inning, Grace went deep again. Brooks led off the inning with his second solo homer of the game to give Grace the lead for good.
Jacob Sapp followed up Brooks's blast with a solo shot of his own to put the Lancers ahead 3-1.
The Wildcats had baserunners in the sixth and seventh innings, but each time Haney was able to escape the inning unscathed.
Overall, Haney threw a gem from the mound. He allowed just 6 hits, 1 run and 1 walk in a complete game. He struck out nine Wildcat batters in seven innings and needed 94 pitches to win the game.
Brooks was a perfect 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs. Sapp was 1 for 2 with a run and RBI, and Xavier Harris, Chris Griffin and David Anderson all tallied hits.
The Wildcats blew open a close game in the nightcap to split the doubleheader. A massive eight-run inning by IWU allowed the Wildcats to win.
The score was 1-1 through four innings. IWU struck first in the top of the second, but Grace countered in the bottom of the fourth.
Grace produced an impressive two-out rally in the fourth to tie the game. Harris and Sid Elford had back-to-back singles, and Mitchell Enyart followed with an RBI single to bring in Harris.
The Wildcats pulled ahead with a solo home run in the fifth, and IWU never trailed again.
The game essentially ended in the top of the sixth. IWU exploded with eight runs, highlighted by a grand slam.
IWU scored again in the seventh, and Grace was unable to respond to end the game early from the run rule.
Harris was a bright spot offensively with a 2-for-3 performance, accounting for half of the Lancers' hits. Enyart had 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 walk and 1 stolen base.
The Lancers are scheduled to host a three-game series this weekend with Marian. Friday will be a single game at 4 p.m. with Saturday being a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
