GRACE BASEBALL

Grace’s baseball team got the 2020 campaign underway over the weekend.

The Lancers traveled south for a four-game series at St. Andrews (N.C.), marking one of the few times this year Grace has been able to practice or play outside.

The Knights took the four-game series, including three of the games by one or two runs.

In the season opener, Grace’s defense was sharp. The Lancers held St. Andrews to just one hit in seven innings but still fell 2-0.

The Lancers had two doubles, but Grace was unable to push across a run. Xavier Harris and Alex Rich doubled in the Lancers’ opener.

Ike Peterson was the opening day starter, throwing three scoreless innings from the mound. He struck out two and walked two in an efficient outing. Nick Stoltzfus and Ryan Bertke threw the final three innings in relief; the freshmen pair combined for five strikeouts.

Grace again outhit the Knights in the second game. The Lancers had seven hits compared to five for St. Andrews, but the Knights escaped with a 3-2 victory.

SAU plated in the first inning and got two more to score in the sixth off a passed ball and a sacrifice fly ball to go ahead 3-0.

Grace had a rally up its sleeve in the top of the seventh. Ethan Brooks and Jeff Pawlik opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and Bertke walked to load the bases. Patrick Danforth was hit by a pitch, allowing Brooks to cross home plate, and Harris drove in another run with a single.

But Grace left the bases loaded on the final at-bat, ending the game with a ground out.

Jaron Mullet hit 2 for 4 from the leadoff position, and Harris was 1 for 3 with an RBI. Houston Haney finished 1 for 2 with a walk, and Danforth added an RBI and a stolen base.

Hunter Schumacher got the start, and Tanner Clark finished in relief. Clark struck out seven batters in five innings.

The Lancers’ bats went silent on Saturday, falling 6-0 and 2-0 to end the series. 

Rich had Grace’s only hit in the first game on Saturday; the freshman registered a hit in three of the four games.

In the final game on Saturday, Grace had four hits compared to three for the Knights — the third time in the series where Grace had more hits.

Brooks batted 1 for 2, and Jake Decker and Mason Meyer earned their Lancer debuts from the mound. Bret Wilhelmi recorded four strikeouts in two innings of work.

The Lancers will play again next weekend with a series at Grand Park (Westfield, Ind.) against St. Xavier and Lawrence Tech.

GRACE SOFTBALL

Grace’s softball team traveled to IU Southeast on Saturday to officially open up the 2020 season.

The Lady Lancers were unable to produce a win, losing 6-1 and 3-0 in southern Indiana.

Grace lost the opener despite tallying the same number of hits (7-7) and more extra-base hits (4-2).

Kaitlyn Heffner went 3 for 4 with two doubles and a run scored from leadoff position. Caroline Kitchen pinch hit a double, and Jaden Cardoso and Carly Ruiz also had hits in their collegiate debuts.

Jeri Ellis was the opening day starter and lasted 5.2 innings, and she added a double and an RBI at the plate.

In the second game, IU Southeast scored all three runs in the fifth inning during a 3-0 win. 

Heffner registered another hit in the loss, and Morgan Tapscott doubled. But the Lady Lancers were unable to generate any offense beyond that.

Taylor Graber and Ellis pitched scoreless innings in relief from the mound, and Dori Knight got the start and pitched 4.1 innings.

The Lady Lancers will travel to Tennessee next weekend to play four games at Cumberlands University.