WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace's baseball team pounded out twenty runs on twenty hits in the opener against IU South Bend on Tuesday afternoon at Tom Roy - UPI Park, leading to a 20-4 scoreline. The later game saw a Lancer lead slip away in the final innings with the Titans escaping with a 7-6 win.
Grace scored early and often to seize control with the offense scoring at least a run in all but one inning of the game. IUSB scored first, but five runs in the first and eight more in the second gave the home team all the momentum it would need.
The Lancers started off the home half of the first with five straight batters reaching safely. Three hits and three defensive miscues led to four runs.
Jose Ayala and
Josh Cosme each earned RBIs with extra-base hits and
John Joyce capped off the five-run inning with a sac fly.
The second inning saw more of the same with six batters getting aboard before an out was recorded.
Dalton Cody belted a two-run blast to bring home
Maximo De Leon early in the inning.
Grant Hartley deposited a two-run shot of his own a few batters later. After batting around, Cody added another RBI with a single.
After being held scoreless in the third inning, Grace loaded the bases in the fourth before
Ryan Stark provided a two-run double. Hartley added two more RBIs to his tally to make it 17-2 after four.
The Lancers tacked on three more runs in their last two at bats.
Steen Bellerjeau picked up a sac fly in the fifth and
Bradyn McIntosh added a two-run single in the sixth.
Grace's pitching staff held strong throughout the game with
Steven Hernandez going 4.0 innings to earn the win.
Joey Diaz,
Aiden McSherry,
Keegan Deaton each pitched an inning of relief.
De Leon finished the game 4 for 4 with 3 runs, 1 RBI and a stolen base. Hartley had a 4 for 5 outing, collecting five RBIs and two runs.
The second game of the day had a different feel. Both teams held a lead, but neither could find much separation. IUSB struck first again with Grace matching the output shortly thereafter. The home team played small ball to manufacture the tying run in the third.
After a free pass and a sac bunt, a defensive miscue of Stark's grounder allowed the run to score.
With two runners on in the fourth,
Gabriel Maldonado attempted a bunt that led to two runs touching home. McIntosh executed some situational hitting with a grounder to the right side to give Grace a three-run advantage.
The Titans, however, weren't ready to lay down. Their offense was ready to mount a rally. One run in the fifth cut the deficit to two before three in the sixth put the visitors on top by one.
Grace responded by scoring a pair to retake the lead heading into the final inning. Back-to-back hits from McIntosh and Bellerjeau put the home team back on top.
IUSB benefited from four walks in the final inning with the eventual winning run scoring on a passed ball.
The Lancers had an opportunity in their final at bat after two walks put the winning run on base with one out. The run-scoring play, however, wasn't found with the Titans escaping with a 7-6 victory.
Each team had at least seven pitchers toe the rubber. McIntosh had 1 hit, 2 RBIs and 2 runs while Maldonado finished with 1 hit, 1 run and 2 RBIs.
The Lancers will head to Indianapolis for their final conference roadtrip of the year with games on Thursday and Saturday at Marian. Both doubleheaders are scheduled for 1 p.m.
