WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace College's softball team completed the series sweep over the Bethel Pilots with a pair of impressive performances on Saturday afternoon.
The Lancers (14-35, 8-27 Crossroads League) outscored the Pilots 11-0 across both games while recording a pair of shutouts.
Grace's pitching was nearly untouchable all afternoon, allowing just seven total hits. On the season Grace outscored Bethel 40-5.
Emma Hiss got the start in the circle for the Lancers in game one of the Saturday showdown and displayed her dominance early. The freshman pitcher struck out four batters in the first two innings. Hiss would finish the game with nine strikeouts while allowing just four Bethel hits in her complete game victory.
Grace threatened to break the ice in the bottom of the second frame.
Lauren Kirkpatrick and
Sage Ladig gave the Lancers runners on the corners but a harmless groundball ended the threat as the Pilots kept the game scoreless.
The Pilots managed one of their three hits in the third frame but would leave her stranded before Grace plated the first run in the bottom of the inning.
Marly Coan had a lead off singled and after advancing to third was scored when
Molly Jones hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the go-ahead run.
The Pilots were retired in order in the fourth inning and Grace extended their lead when they got back to the plate.
Halle Nett and Kirkpatrick were in first and third with one out when a double from
Paige McCorkle allowed both runners to score to give the Lancers a three-run cushion.
The fifth inning passed without incident and the Pilots left two stranded in the top of the sixth before Grace iced the game on the offensive side.
Nett took advantage of a Pilots defensive miscue to get on base and Kirkpatrick brought her into score with a hard hit ball down the left-field line.
Sydney Argo was then tabbed to pinch hit and the move paid immediate dividends when the senior doubled in a run to push the Lancers ahead by five.
The Lancers were down to the final out of the inning and still led by five but seemed determined to end the game with the bat in their hands.
Gabi Eberhart and an RBI single to score Argo and then brought themselves within a run of ending the game by run rule when Hiss added an RBI of her own. Sleeth clinched the game in the Lancers favor with a single that scored Eberhart to give Grace the 8-0 victory.
The Lancers boasted a well balanced offensive attack with eight players accounting for the 10 hits. McCorkle led all players with two RBIs while Kirkpatrick had two hits and a walk.
Chloe Huff was a force from the mound in the second game. She threw a four-hit gem to blank the Pilots, yielding just three walks with two strikeouts across her seven innings.
The Lancers didn't need many runs thanks to Huff's performance, and Grace found the runs they needed early.
In the bottom of the first, Coan led off with a double. She was promptly brought in by a triple from
Halle Nett. Nett then scored after a fly ball provided by
Avery Sleeth.
Coan started the fifth inning with another double. Sleeth's single moved Coan to third base, and Jones's sacrifice fly allowed Coan to score the Lancers' third run.
Huff's pitching and Grace's fielding took care of the rest to shut out the Pilots.
Defensively, Grace did not allow Bethel to move a runner past second base for the entirety of the game.
Coan hit 2 for 4 with two runs scored, and Hiss was 1 for 1 with two walks.
The Lancers will officially end the year on Monday. Grace will finish up the final game of its series with Mt. Vernon Nazarene. The final game was suspended due to rain after four innings, so the teams will resume with the fifth inning beginning on Monday at 4 p.m. at Coach Phil Dick Field.
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