GOSHEN, Ind. - Grace College's softball team swept the Goshen Maple Leafs on Saturday afternoon to set themselves up for a postseason push as the season enters its final week.

The Lancers (15-25, 11-21 Crossroads League) won Saturday's doubleheader affair by scores of 8-4 and 4-3. Grace sits just one game behind St. Francis for the final spot in the CL tournament and will play a doubleheader against the Cougars on Friday.

The game two win also earned the Lancers their most wins in a single season since the 2018 campaign.

The opening frame of game one saw both teams cross a run in their turn at bat. Grace's run came courtesy of Madison Gainey who singled in Jeri Ellis.

The game remained tied at one until Goshen (23-21, 12-18 CL) used a two-run third inning to take a 3-1 advantage.

The Lancers were unable to take advantage of a runner in scoring position in the fourth frame, but in the fifth inning Grace's bats sprung to life.

Grace's first three batters all reached base safely, including Tia O'Connor whose RBI single pulled the Lancers to within one run.

Avery Sleeth made the game even at three with a hard hit single through the middle of the infield. Halle Nett put a ball in play that the Maple Leafs shortstop couldn't handle which allowed two runners to come around to score and vault the Lancers into the lead.

Bela Duran put a cap on the six run inning for Grace with two more RBIs that gave the Lancers a choke hold on the game with 7-3 advantage.

The Maple Leafs got one run back in the bottom of the sixth but Duran matched their efforts in the top of the seventh frame with her third RBI of the contest as Grace held on for the 8-4 victory.

Ellis earned the victory after throwing six innings and Kierstin Fickas completed a scoreless seventh inning in relief. Duran and Sleeth each had multi-hit games while Montans Brincks and Cassie Hayes demonstrated a patient approach at the plate and earned a pair of walks.

In game two Goshen struck first with a solo shot in the first inning to jump out to the early advantage.

Grace quickly flipped the script on the host team though as a lead-off single from Gainey set the plate for a two-run bomb from Bree Gardinier to push the Lancers ahead 2-1.

Grace added to their advantage in the third frame when alert base running from Duran allowed her to score from second on a single from Hayes.

Alexis Bergman, who got the start in game two, helped maintain the two-run advantage until the fifth inning when the Maple Leafs connected on their second long ball of the game to tie the game at three.

In the top of the seventh inning Duran had a leadoff double and advanced to third after an Ellis ground out. Duran then scored on what proved to be the game winning run off of a Hayes double.

Down to their final three outs, Goshen would not go quietly. The Maple Leafs had runners on first and second and had a hard hit line drive to left field, but Brincks made the squeeze for the final out to secure the 4-3 win for Grace.

Bergman earned the winning decision in the game and Fickas was given the save after closing the door in the seventh inning.

Grace will conclude the 2024 season with a road trip to Fort Wayne on Friday, before returning home on Saturday against Mt. Vernon. Saturday will also be Grace's senior day as the Lancers honor their graduating players.