Softball gives No. 8 IWU a scare
Grace's softball team could not complete a pair of upset bids against No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday.
The Lady Lancers lost two games at IWU — both by the score of 2-1. The Wildcats (41-7, 26-4 Crossroads League) won both games late as Grace's young squad gave IWU trouble throughout the day.
In the opening game, no runs were scored until the sixth inning. Jeri Ellis kept IWU off the scoreboard for the first five innings, putting Grace in a position to claim a win.
In the top of the sixth, Grace made its move. Bethany Gardner led off the inning with a double. She moved to third base with a pop out, and Ellis brought her home with a sacrifice fly to right field.
But Grace's 1-0 lead did not last long. IWU countered with a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth, pushing across the game-tying run.
The Lady Lancers could not score in the top of the seventh, setting the stage for a walkoff. IWU used two singles and a Grace fielding error in the bottom of the seventh to plate the winning run.
Ellis had Grace's lone RBI, and she also pitched a complete game. She gave up two runs on seven hits against IWU's high-powered attack.
The second game had a similar storyline as the game remained tied until the sixth inning.
This time, however, IWU struck first by plating a run in the bottom of the second.
Grace had a response in the top of the third as Gardner led off the inning with a solo home run. The game remained deadlocked at 1-1 until the sixth inning.
The Wildcats generated the go-ahead run with another two-out RBI in the sixth.
The Lady Lancers were undaunted, however, and nearly had the game-tying run. Gardner singled with two outs in the seventh.
On the next at-bat, Jessica Kaurich produced a deep single to the fence, and Gardner charged around the basepaths towards home. The Wildcats used two quick relay throws to get the ball to home, and Gardner was called out on the tag in a split-second play. The tagout ended the game and secured the win for IWU.
The Lady Lancers outhit the Wildcats 7-4 in the second game, but Grace stranded seven baserunners and had to settle for the defeat.
Gardner was sensational from the leadoff position, hitting 3 for 4 with her home run.
Kierstin Fickas pitched another complete game for the Lady Lancers. She yielded four hits and two runs while striking out six.
The Lady Lancers have two more road series remaining this week, including at St. Francis on Friday (3 p.m.) and No. 17 Marian on Saturday (1 p.m.). Grace is in the hunt for a spot in the CL Tournament, which will be held next week.
Original source can be found here.
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