WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace College's softball team came up short in a double header against Spring Arbor on Saturday afternoon.

The Lancers (9-17, 5-13 Crossroads League) dropped the opener 8-1, and fell just short in game two by a 6-3 mark.

Spring Arbor (22-11, 14-6 CL) grabbed the upper hand early in the first game and never looked back. The Cougars scored three runs in the first inning before retiring Grace's first three batters in order.

Cassie Hayes had the Lancers first hit of the afternoon with a leadoff double in the second inning but Grace would leave her runner stranded at third.

In the third frame Spring Arbor exploded for five more runs which pushed the advantage to 8-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning Halle Nett had a leadoff single which was immediately followed up by a hard hit double by Jeri Ellis. Hayes broke up the shutout with an RBI single as the Lancers trailed 8-1 after four innings of play.

Grace was unable to close the gap anymore as they managed just one more baserunner, falling 8-1.

Game two saw the teams play through two scoreless innings before the offenses came alive in the third inning.

It was the Cougars who struck first in the top of the third inning with a four-run frame, but the Lancers followed close behind.

Bela Duran had a single through the hole on the left side of the infield which allowed Grace to start a two-out rally in the third.

Cassie Hayes blasted a ground ball through the infield that was too hot to handle for the Cougars defense which allowed Duran to safely cross home plate.

Madison Gainey then had a triple to the wall that brought Hayes in to score. Gainey then came in to score off of a RBI single from Tia O'Connor which cut the lead down to 4-3.

Spring Arbor would add two-runs to their advantage in the fifth inning and then another in the sixth which grew the lead back to three runs.

Grace threatened in the sixth inning with runners on the corner with one out, but the Cougars held strong and escaped the inning without surrendering a run.

Jeri Ellis had a single in the final frame but it was the only offense that the Lancers mustered as they dropped the contest 6-3.

Alexis Bergman played a relief role in both games, going a total of 5.1 innings while allowing just one earned run. Hayes had two hits and a pair of RBIs while Montana Brincks had two hits and a walk.

Grace will return to action on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. showdown with No. 7 Marian. The Lancers picked up a run-rule victory over the Knights in their previous meeting.