WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace College's softball team dropped the final two games of a four-game series to No. 12 Marian on Tuesday afternoon.

The Lancers (5-15, 6-19 Crossroads League) continue to maintain 8th pace in the league standings, which would qualify them for the Crossroads League Tournament.

In game one, both teams went down quietly in the first inning. It would be the knights, who have now won 30 of their last 31 games, who would strike in the second inning.

After getting a pair of free passes to start the top of the second, the Knights plated three runs in the inning to establish an early.

Bree Gardinier had the Lancers first hit of the afternoon in the bottom of the second but was the lone Grace player to reach safely in the inning.

In the third inning Montana Brincks led things off with a hit into right center field that the ranging Knights fielder misplayed. 

A pair of outs threatened to strand Brincks at the middle base, but Tia O'Connor came up clutch with a two-out double to draw blood for the Lancers.

After scoring in the third, Grace's offense was continually thwarted by the stout Marian defense as the Knights carried a 4-1 lead into the sixth inning.

Marian's offense came alive in the sixth inning as the Knights crossed six runs to push the game to its final score at 10-1 in favor of the Knights.

In game two Grace would be the aggressor as they jumped out to an early 2-0 lead.

Taylor Hodgen started the home-half of the first inning with a walk, and Jeri Ellis followed up her effort with a single. Cassie Hayes became the third straight Lancer to reach base safely in the inning as she hit an RBI single to give Grace the lead.

Brincks added to her team leading RBI total with an RBI single to give Grace a 2-0 lead as the game entered the second inning.

The Knights respond with two-runs of their own in the second inning to tie the game back up.

In the third inning, the Lancers continued to show patience at the plate as Carly Ruiz earned a walk to start the third. A homerun over the left field fence from Laikyn Lowe reestablished a two-run lead for Grace.

Marian continued the trend of two-run innings in the fourth, as the Knights tied the game at 4 apiece. The Knights gained control of the game in the fifth inning as they plated three more runs.

Marian scored four runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to take game two 13-4.

Hayes reached base safely four times on the afternoon and Ellis went a perfect 3-3 from the plate in game two.

Grace will be back in action again on Wednesday as they travel to Fort Wayne to take on the Cougars.