Grace Softball: Lancers Earn Key Split With IWU
WINONA LAKE – The Grace College softball team picked up a crucial split against Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday.
The Wildcats, who are receiving votes in the NAIA, won the opener 5-1. But the Lady Lancers (14-13, 7-5 Crossroads League) ended the day on a high note, beating IWU 9-4 in the second half of the twin bill.
Mistakes and a lack of hitting plagued Grace in the opening game. The Lady Lancers committed five errors and could only plate once in defeat.
Grace scored first in the opening inning. Hannah Herbster and Abby Mozingo led off with back-to-back singles, and, after a sacrifice bunt, Chandler Elliott hit a ground ball to score Herbster. Unfortunately for Grace, that proved to be the lone run of the game.
IWU countered to tie the game in the top of the second, and the score remained 1-1 through four innings.
Grace seemed poised to grab the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Elliott and Ashley Kleinbub reached base with singles, and Olivia Scarbrough successfully bunted the pair to second and third base. But with one out in the inning, Grace was unable to push across the go-ahead run. The inning ended with a pop up and a strikeout.
The Wildcats (19-7, 6-4 CL) made Grace pay in the top of the fifth, scoring a run to take the lead for good. IWU tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth and another in the seventh to pull ahead by four, and Grace was unable to piece together a rally in response.
Elliott pitched the complete game, giving up two earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts. Mozingo went 2-for-4 with a stolen base, and Kleinbub hit 2-for-3.
In the second game, IWU plated twice in the opening inning with four hits. Grace countered with a run of its own in the bottom half after Elliott’s double allowed Clarissa Knight to plate.
In the top of the third, Mozingo and Knight reached base safely to start the inning. After the next two batters flew out, Kati Gregory hit a clutch two-out single to tie the game 2-2.
The fourth inning saw Grace take the lead. Emily Bobb led off with a single and was sacrificed over to second. Herbster’s single moved Bobb to third, and a ground ball from Mozingo allowed Bobb to score the go-ahead run.
The bases were loaded up after Knight singled with one out, and Elliott’s ground ball brought in Herbster for a 4-2 lead. On the next at-bat, Kleinbub missed a third strike, but the pitch went to the backstop to score Mozingo. Kati Gregory then singled to bring in Knight for a 6-2 lead.
In the fifth, Mariah Roman successfully pinch hit for a single; she came around to plate on a single by Mozingo. Later on, Kleinbub hit a two-out single to score Herbster. Bobb plated again in the sixth to make the score 9-2.
IWU produced two runs in its final at-bats, but it was far from enough as Grace won 9-4.
Eight different players for Grace had a hit, led by three hits from Herbster. Mozingo was 2-for-4 with 2 runs, 2 steals and 2 RBIs, and Knight was 2-for-4 with two runs and two stolen bases.
Gregory had two hits and two RBIs, and Bobb plated twice. Hannah England earned the win from the mound after tossing the final four innings of the game.
The Lady Lancers end the week on the road. Grace travels to No. 4 Marian on Friday and to Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Saturday.