WESTFIELD, Ind. - Grace's baseball team picked up another win on Tuesday afternoon by earning a doubleheader split against IU Columbus at Grand Park.
The Lancers (5-4) jumped on the Crimson Pride (3-7) early in the opener on their way to victory 9-5. In the nightcap, IU Columbus came from behind to sneak away with the split 5-4.
Once again, Grace used the long ball to put runs on the board.
Grant Hartley belted his third homer of the young season to put the team up early. His grand slam in the first inning set the tone for the game.
The Lancers followed up with two more runs in the second inning to extend the lead to six. After a free pass to
Addison Hickman,
Sean Gannon brought him around to score with an RBI single.
Grace threatened in the third with three straight walks to load the bases. The run-scoring play would not come, however, as the Crimson Pride escaped by getting a pop out and a ground out to end the inning.
IUPUC clawed back two runs in the bottom half to get within four.
Both teams added a run in the fifth to keep the margin at four.
Cayden Calloway plated a run by advancing home on a wild pitch.
The Lancers hit two triples in the sixth inning.
Austin Carr smacked the first one and later scored on a botched pick-off attempt of
Bradyn McIntosh. Hartley picked up his fifth RBI of the day with a groundout to cap off the scoring.
Mason Meyer had the second triple of the inning with two outs.
Carr, the reigning CL Player of the Week, impressed again, going 3 for 3 with a triple and two runs.
Gannon picked up 2 hits, 1 RBI and 1 run, and Hartley finished the game 1 for 3 with a grand slam and five RBIs.
Steven Hernandez picked up his second win of the year after 5.0 innings of work. He collected five strikeouts and allowed just four hits.
Grace outhit the Crimson Pride 7-4 in game two, but were unable to come home with the sweep, falling 5-4.
Annikan Pettit and McIntosh led off the second inning with back-to-back singles. The pair executed a double steal to get into scoring position. Calloway drove in the first run with an RBI ground out and
Josh Cosme laced an RBI double to plate the second.
Grace held the 2-0 until IUPUC stormed back with three runs in the third inning. But the lead was short-lived as Hartley supplied an RBI ground out to score Calloway an inning later and tie the game at three.
Mason Meyer pushed Grace ahead by one in the fourth with an RBI ground out, allowing Hickman to touch home.
The Crimson Pride took advantage of a pair of walks in the bottom of the fifth inning to seize momentum and plate the go-ahead run.
Grace had an opportunity to level the score in the final two innings. In the sixth, the first three batters reached safely to load the bases with no outs. In the seventh, an error and a walk allowed two runners to reach base. Both times, however, IUPUC was able to retire the side and come out on top 5-4.
Meyer and McIntosh paced Grace with each collecting two hits. Cosme went 1 for 3 with one RBI and a walk.
Five pitchers toed the rubber for the Lancers in game two. The group combined for six strikeouts.
Next up for Grace will be the home opener at the newly renovated Tom Roy - UPI Park on Feb. 23-24 against Lawrence Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. each day.
