WINONA LAKE – Grace College’s softball team split its first Crossroads League games of 2017 against Huntington on Monday.

Both games at Miller Athletic Complex consisted of a wealth of offense. Grace dropped the opener 8-6 before winning the second game 7-5.

The Lady Lancers’ bats got off to a hot start in game one. Grace jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, starting with Clarissa Knight hitting a flare down the right field line to drive in game’s first run. Ashley Kleinbub followed with a two-run double, and Kyleigh Garner doubled in another run.

The Foresters (6-7-1, 1-3 CL) responded with a big inning of their own in the second. Huntington quickly erased Grace’s cushion and jumped ahead 6-4.

The Foresters added to their lead to begin the third. A single followed by a swinging bunt and a passed ball put a runner on third with one away. The run scored on a wild throw to increase Huntington’s lead to three.

Grace struck back with two runs in the bottom of the third, but Huntington used some small-ball to plate an insurance run in the fifth to make the score 8-6.

The Lady Lancers (8-9, 1-1 CL) had a chance to do damage in the sixth inning with runners on first and third with one out; however, both runners were stranded. Grace went down quietly in the bottom of the seventh, dropping the first league game of the year 8-6.

Garner, Elaina McClellan, Olivia Scarbrough, and Hannah Herbster each went 2-for-4 in game one. Garner tallied two RBIs while Knight, Scarborough, McClellan, and Scarbrough added one RBI each for the Lancers.

Hannah England pitched 4.1 innings of relief, allowing just one earned run on seven hits with two strikeouts.

Grace got off to another fast start to game two. A double by Knight gave the Lady Lancers runners on second and third with one out. Chandler Elliott hit a blooper to shallow centerfield to put her team on the board.

Huntington tied the contest at 1-1, but Grace regained the lead in the second inning by plating two more runs on three hits.

In the third inning, Grace loaded the bases with one out. McClellan sent a double to deep left center to score two and increase the Lady Lancers’ lead to 5-2.

Three hits and an error helped Grace climb ahead 7-2. Huntington looked to fight back in the top of the fifth. They stringed three hits and an error together to plate three runs in the inning. But Grace got the final batter to fly out, and the game was called due to darkness after the Foresters’ half of the inning.

Elliott pitched all five innings in game two, giving up three earned runs on nine hits to get the win. Knight and Abby Mozingo both went 3-for-3; two of Knight’s three hits were doubles. McClellan went 2-for-2 with two RBIs.

Grace continues its league schedule tomorrow when they travel to Spring Arbor. The first pitch of game one takes place at 3 p.m.