Grace Results: March 22
Taylor Softball 14, Grace 7
Taylor 9, Grace 1
Grace’s softball team could not slow Taylor’s bats in a doubleheader defeat on Monday.
The games were originally scheduled for Saturday but moved to Monday because of forecasted rain two days ago.
Grace lost the first game 14-7 and dropped the second game 9-1.
Grace’s offense sparked to life in the opener, an encouraging sign after three straight games with less than two runs scored.
The Lady Lancers scored all seven of their runs in one inning, keyed by two home runs.
Taylor led 4-0 after three innings, but Grace rallied to take the lead with a big fourth inning.
The first three batters reached base safely to begin the inning, but the next two hitters struck out to put the inning in limbo.
Bethany Gardner was not fazed, however, belting a two-out grand slam on a 0-1 count to tie the score.
A few batters later, Jessica Kaurich parked a three-run blast over the left field fence to put Grace ahead 7-4.
But that proved to be the high point of the game for Grace. Taylor erupted for eight runs in the fifth and never looked back in a 14-7 win.
Jaden Cardoso batted 2 for 4 with a run scored, and Britney Young and Carly Ruiz each had two hits.
Grace’s bats were much quieter in the second half of the twin bill. The Lady Lancers managed just three hits in the run-shortened 9-1 defeat.
The only run for Grace came in the fourth inning when Ruiz had a two-out RBI single to score Cardoso.
Ruiz (2-2) and Cardoso (1-3, 1 run) generated the only offense for Grace in the six-inning defeat.
The Trojans had three doubles and a home run to pull away from Grace, outhitting the Lady Lancers 12-3 overall.
The Lady Lancers are home the rest of the week. Grace hosts Goshen on Tuesday at 3 pm. and St. Francis on Saturday at 1 p.m.