Lady Lancers Place Third At Sagamore Shootout
April 13, 2022 at 12:44 a.m.
Lady Lancers Place Third At Sagamore Shootout
By Josh Neuhart-
The seven-team event was scheduled for two rounds at The Sagamore Club. Weather played a factor as play was temporarily halted partway through for a rain delay.
The Lady Lancers battled tough conditions, narrowly missing out on second place, and finished third (656) behind Marian (655) and shootout winner Indiana Wesleyan (623).
Lucy Young posted the low score for Grace with a two-round total of 160. In round one, she carded two birdies and seven pars on her way to an opening-round 82.
Young bettered her score in round two, knocking down two birdies and nine pars for a 78 to place sixth overall.
Rebecca Hawes finished right behind her teammate with a combined total of 161. She opened with an 81 on a birdie and nine pars. She was able to lower her score in round two as well, carding an 80 to place seventh overall.
Summer Stillson finished eighth right behind Hawes and Young, finishing with a two-round total of 163.
Grace May knocked eight strokes off of her first round total to shoot a 174, and Carolyn Pacocha (181) rounded out the scoring for Grace.
“I was really proud of our effort today. It wasn't our best showing, but we bounced back in the second round with a terrific score,” said Grace head coach Denny Duncan. “It was a very challenging day of 36 holes in tough weather on one of the most difficult courses in Indiana. I’m extremely proud of the team for battling through and showing their tough-mindedness yet again.”
The Lady Lancers will be back on the links at Mystic Creek Golf Course for the Cleary Invitational on April 14.
Grace Steady At Sagamore
NOBLESVILLE — The Grace men’s golf team took part in the Sagamore Shootout hosted by Indiana Wesleyan on Monday.
Tough weather conditions and a rain delay made the afternoon difficult for the field at The Sagamore Club. The Lancers placed fifth out of seven squads in a challenging course.
The Lancers were paced by Noah Wright who posted a two-round total of 156 to finish in a tie for ninth overall. His opening-round 79 consisted of two birdies and 12 pars. He bettered that score with a 77 in the final round.
Blake Lawson finished just one stroke behind Wright; his scorecard of 79-78 put him in 13th place.
Parker Wilburn improved his score by five strokes between rounds (83-78), and Chase Byron (78-84) turned in the top score for Grace in the opening round.
Payton Kelly concluded the Lancers’ lineup with a two-round total of 171.
The Lancers will be back on the course at Kauffman Golf Course for the Aquinas Invitational on April 18.
Grace Sweeps League’s Weekly Track Awards
WINONA LAKE – After a strong performance over the weekend, Grace’s track and field team produced a clean sweep of the weekly Player of the Week awards from the Crossroads League on Monday.
Isaac Brown, Bryan Hernandez-Rios, Heather Plastow and Lanae Crowe earned the four awards from the league. Additionally, Crowe was named the NCCAA National Female Field Athlete of the Week on Monday.
Crowe won the discus at the Manchester Invitational. She beat 24 other competitors with a heave of 132-feet-11.
Plastow was the league’s Female Track Athlete of the Week. She took home a pair of top-two finishes. She won the 800-meter race at 2:19.43, and she was runner-up in the 1,500 with an NAIA "B" time of 4:43.12. Her time in the 1,500 bettered her school-record mark.
Brown earned a pair of top-two finishes as well to be named the league’s Male Field Athlete of the Week. He won the javelin with a throw of 175 feet, and he was second in the long jump at 20-feet-10.75.
Hernandez-Rios followed suit with two top-two finishes; he was awarded the CL’s Male Track Athlete of the Week. He won the 800 with a time of 1:58.73, and he was runner-up in the 1,500 at 3:57.66.
The Lancers’ next meet is the Little State Championships held in Marion, Ind., on April 22-23.
Softball Tangles With No. 8 IWU
WINONA LAKE – Grace’s softball team gave No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan a battle during a doubleheader on Monday.
The Lady Lancers lost twice at Coach Phil Dick Field, but Grace gave the 8th-ranked Wildcats a scare in game two. IWU won 8-0 and 2-1.
The Wildcats (30-5, 14-2 Crossroads League) claimed the opener in a run-rule shortened game. IWU won 8-0 after five innings were complete.
IWU largely did its damage in the opening innings. The Wildcats scored seven of their runs in the first three innings, including a five-run second.
Grace did not struggle to find baserunners, but the Lady Lancers (9-18, 6-10 CL) were unable to turn those into runs. In the bottom of the second, Grace loaded the bases with no outs. But the next three batters for Grace struck out to end that threat.
The first two batters reached safely again for Grace in the fourth, but the Lady Lancers came up empty.
In the fifth, Grace did its best to stave off the run rule. Bethany Gardner and Cassandra Hayes singled back-to-back with two outs, but the final batter was retired with a ground ball.
The Lady Lancers were held to three hits but also added four walks and a hit by pitch.
In the second game, IWU scored first with a solo homer in the top of the second inning.
Grace responded with a game-tying run in the third. Izabela Duran led off the inning with a walk and moved to second after a wild pitch. With two outs in the inning, Jessica Kaurich produced a single to right field which allowed Duran to race home.
IWU homered again in the top of the fifth to regain the lead at 2-1, and that scoreline would hold for the rest of the contest.
The Lady Lancers had a double in both the fourth and sixth innings, but Grace was unable to push across a run. The Wildcats retired Grace 1-2-3 in the final inning to hold on for the narrow victory.
Kierstin Fickas impressed from the mound. The freshman pitcher threw all seven innings, limiting the high-powered Wildcats’ offense to two runs on five hits. She struck out five in a complete-game effort.
The Lady Lancers remain home for three more series this week. Grace hosts Taylor on Tuesday (3 p.m.), Huntington on Friday (3 p.m.) and Goshen on Saturday (1 p.m.).
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The seven-team event was scheduled for two rounds at The Sagamore Club. Weather played a factor as play was temporarily halted partway through for a rain delay.
The Lady Lancers battled tough conditions, narrowly missing out on second place, and finished third (656) behind Marian (655) and shootout winner Indiana Wesleyan (623).
Lucy Young posted the low score for Grace with a two-round total of 160. In round one, she carded two birdies and seven pars on her way to an opening-round 82.
Young bettered her score in round two, knocking down two birdies and nine pars for a 78 to place sixth overall.
Rebecca Hawes finished right behind her teammate with a combined total of 161. She opened with an 81 on a birdie and nine pars. She was able to lower her score in round two as well, carding an 80 to place seventh overall.
Summer Stillson finished eighth right behind Hawes and Young, finishing with a two-round total of 163.
Grace May knocked eight strokes off of her first round total to shoot a 174, and Carolyn Pacocha (181) rounded out the scoring for Grace.
“I was really proud of our effort today. It wasn't our best showing, but we bounced back in the second round with a terrific score,” said Grace head coach Denny Duncan. “It was a very challenging day of 36 holes in tough weather on one of the most difficult courses in Indiana. I’m extremely proud of the team for battling through and showing their tough-mindedness yet again.”
The Lady Lancers will be back on the links at Mystic Creek Golf Course for the Cleary Invitational on April 14.
Grace Steady At Sagamore
NOBLESVILLE — The Grace men’s golf team took part in the Sagamore Shootout hosted by Indiana Wesleyan on Monday.
Tough weather conditions and a rain delay made the afternoon difficult for the field at The Sagamore Club. The Lancers placed fifth out of seven squads in a challenging course.
The Lancers were paced by Noah Wright who posted a two-round total of 156 to finish in a tie for ninth overall. His opening-round 79 consisted of two birdies and 12 pars. He bettered that score with a 77 in the final round.
Blake Lawson finished just one stroke behind Wright; his scorecard of 79-78 put him in 13th place.
Parker Wilburn improved his score by five strokes between rounds (83-78), and Chase Byron (78-84) turned in the top score for Grace in the opening round.
Payton Kelly concluded the Lancers’ lineup with a two-round total of 171.
The Lancers will be back on the course at Kauffman Golf Course for the Aquinas Invitational on April 18.
Grace Sweeps League’s Weekly Track Awards
WINONA LAKE – After a strong performance over the weekend, Grace’s track and field team produced a clean sweep of the weekly Player of the Week awards from the Crossroads League on Monday.
Isaac Brown, Bryan Hernandez-Rios, Heather Plastow and Lanae Crowe earned the four awards from the league. Additionally, Crowe was named the NCCAA National Female Field Athlete of the Week on Monday.
Crowe won the discus at the Manchester Invitational. She beat 24 other competitors with a heave of 132-feet-11.
Plastow was the league’s Female Track Athlete of the Week. She took home a pair of top-two finishes. She won the 800-meter race at 2:19.43, and she was runner-up in the 1,500 with an NAIA "B" time of 4:43.12. Her time in the 1,500 bettered her school-record mark.
Brown earned a pair of top-two finishes as well to be named the league’s Male Field Athlete of the Week. He won the javelin with a throw of 175 feet, and he was second in the long jump at 20-feet-10.75.
Hernandez-Rios followed suit with two top-two finishes; he was awarded the CL’s Male Track Athlete of the Week. He won the 800 with a time of 1:58.73, and he was runner-up in the 1,500 at 3:57.66.
The Lancers’ next meet is the Little State Championships held in Marion, Ind., on April 22-23.
Softball Tangles With No. 8 IWU
WINONA LAKE – Grace’s softball team gave No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan a battle during a doubleheader on Monday.
The Lady Lancers lost twice at Coach Phil Dick Field, but Grace gave the 8th-ranked Wildcats a scare in game two. IWU won 8-0 and 2-1.
The Wildcats (30-5, 14-2 Crossroads League) claimed the opener in a run-rule shortened game. IWU won 8-0 after five innings were complete.
IWU largely did its damage in the opening innings. The Wildcats scored seven of their runs in the first three innings, including a five-run second.
Grace did not struggle to find baserunners, but the Lady Lancers (9-18, 6-10 CL) were unable to turn those into runs. In the bottom of the second, Grace loaded the bases with no outs. But the next three batters for Grace struck out to end that threat.
The first two batters reached safely again for Grace in the fourth, but the Lady Lancers came up empty.
In the fifth, Grace did its best to stave off the run rule. Bethany Gardner and Cassandra Hayes singled back-to-back with two outs, but the final batter was retired with a ground ball.
The Lady Lancers were held to three hits but also added four walks and a hit by pitch.
In the second game, IWU scored first with a solo homer in the top of the second inning.
Grace responded with a game-tying run in the third. Izabela Duran led off the inning with a walk and moved to second after a wild pitch. With two outs in the inning, Jessica Kaurich produced a single to right field which allowed Duran to race home.
IWU homered again in the top of the fifth to regain the lead at 2-1, and that scoreline would hold for the rest of the contest.
The Lady Lancers had a double in both the fourth and sixth innings, but Grace was unable to push across a run. The Wildcats retired Grace 1-2-3 in the final inning to hold on for the narrow victory.
Kierstin Fickas impressed from the mound. The freshman pitcher threw all seven innings, limiting the high-powered Wildcats’ offense to two runs on five hits. She struck out five in a complete-game effort.
The Lady Lancers remain home for three more series this week. Grace hosts Taylor on Tuesday (3 p.m.), Huntington on Friday (3 p.m.) and Goshen on Saturday (1 p.m.).
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