NC Indiana News

Lancers kick off season with two walk-off wins

Grace's baseball team kicked off the 2023 campaign in dramatic fashion with a pair of walk-off victories to start the year.

The Lancers swept Trinity International on Friday, winning 2-1 and 3-2.

Stellar pitching was on display all afternoon as both teams were stingy in allowing runners to reach base.

Evan Etchison impressed in his season debut, tossing a complete game to earn the victory. He fanned 11 hitters while scattering 4 hits, 1 walk and 1 unearned run over 7.0 innings pitched in game one.

Grace scored in the opening frame when Maximo De Leon came around to score. He reached on an error and later scored after a walk and two hit-by-pitches to give the Lancers the early lead.

After a quiet second inning, Trinity International threatened to level the score in the third. After a walk and an infield single, the Trojans were able to squeeze a run across to tie the game at one. Etchison was able to limit the damage by inducing an inning-ending ground ball from the next hitter.

Neither team could muster much in the middle innings as only five runners reached base over the next 3.5 innings.

Patrick Danforth led off the bottom of the seventh with a single. After a sacrifice bunt from De Leon, Josh Cosme lined a single to left, moving the winning run to third. An intentional walk to Grant Hartley loaded the bases for Sam Newkirk. His ground ball to third was misplayed, allowing Biddle to scamper home for the winning run. 

Hartley was 1 for 2 with a double and two walks; Newkirk went 1 for 2 with a single, RBI and two hit-by-pitches in game one. 

The second game of the doubleheader featured more stingy pitching as Grace pitchers combined to allow only three hits and two walks in the ballgame.  

Hunter Schumacher was on the bump to start game two, tossing two perfect innings with three strikeouts. Caleb Farney pitched the middle innings, allowing two hits and one run over 2.2 innings. Joey Springer pitched the final 3.1 innings to pick up the victory. 

In the bottom half of the second, Grace loaded the bases with two outs, all via the free pass, but could not score. 

The next opportunity came in the third. Cosme singled, and Hartley doubled to plate the first run of the game.

Grace nearly added a run in the fourth, but a play at the plate nabbed Keenan LeBlanc attempting to score. 

Trinity International leveled the score in the fifth and it would remain deadlocked until the Trojans plated the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. 

Grace responded in the extra frame with an offensive outburst to storm back and complete the walk-off victory. Newkirk led off the inning with a single, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double. Cosme walked and immediately scored on a Hartley triple to center. 

The next two hitters reached on a hit-by-pitch and intentional walk to load the bases for Bradyn McIntosh. He would deliver the decisive blow on a single to right to start the celebration.

Cosme finished 1 for 2 with two walks, one stolen base and two runs scored; Hartley went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored. 

Original source can be found here.