WINONA LAKE, Ind. - The final day of the regular season was special for Grace’s baseball team. The Lancers picked up two wins against Bethel with each one representing a historic achievement. The 14-6 victory in the opener broke the overall single-season wins record and the 13-2 win in the nightcap broke the conference single-season wins record. Between games the 17-strong senior class was honored with a ceremony.
Grace opened the scoring in the second inning after the first three batters recorded hits. Hartley doubled and Jose Ayala singled, but the run-scoring hit came from Josh Cosme’s double to left.
Another run crossed the plate an inning later due to an error by the Pilot defense.
Bethel briefly tied the game on one swing of the bat in the fourth, making it 2-2. The deadlock ended quickly when Grace plated five runs in the bottom half of the same inning.
The rally started with five consecutive walks with the free pass to Dalton Cody allowing a run to score. Hartley cleared the bases with a hard-hit ball to center. Ayala followed with a single before Cosme netted his second RBI of the game with his single.
The Pilots scored the next three runs to get the deficit down to two in the sixth. Grace responded again with another big inning. This time with four runs.
Joyce John provided the power with a three-run blast over the wall in right. More walks and wild pitching allowed the fourth run to score.
The next inning, Grace tacked on three more runs. Ayala scampered home on a passed ball and Maximo De Leon laced a two-run double to left, bringing home Bradyn McIntosh and Mason Wire.
Steven Hernandez got the start for the Lancers and pitched 5.0 innings to get the win. Keegan Deaton and Kyle Showley pitched the final four innings to close out the game.
The Lancers pounded out 12 hits in the game. Hartley went 3 for 6 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs. Joyce finished 1 for 2 with 3 RBIs, 1 run and 1 walk.
Grace led from wire to wire in the final game of the regular season, scoring at least one run in all but one inning en route to a convincing 13-2 scoreline.
The Lancers struck first again and never looked back. Ryan Stark started the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first.
A crooked number in the second frame gave Grace an 8-0 lead. Joyce clubbed a two-run single to right to bring home the first two runs. A fielder’s choice from De Leon and a double from Cody scored two more. Hartley earned a free pass to bring home De Leon and Ayala picked up a two-RBI single.
The runs kept coming as the Lancers scored five runs over the next three at bats. De Leon collected an RBI single in the third and two more RBIs an inning later with another base hit.
The final run for Grace came off the bat of Sean Gannon. The Lancers had some fun in their final at bat, sending three senior pitchers to plate to get some swings.
Hunter Schumacher came on to pitch the seventh in a non-save situation. He fanned one and ended the game by inducing a double play. Sam Justice recorded the win with seven strikeouts over 5.0 innings of work.
Eight different players recorded a hit in the game. De Leon went 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs, 2 runs and a stolen base. Ayala had 1 hit, 2 walks, 2 RBIs and 2 runs.
The Lancers will take part in the conference tournament, beginning on Wednesday with a play-in game against Marian. The single elimination game, hosted at Indiana Wesleyan, is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Lancers Close Out Season With Sweep Of Bethel
MISHAWAKA, Ind. - Grace College’s softball team completed the season sweep over the Bethel Pilots with a pair of victories on Saturday afternoon.
The Lancers (9-32-1, 5-30-1 Crossroads League) won both games in convincing fashion with scores of 8-1 and 4-2. The wins secured the season sweep as Grace had previously won between the Pilots in both games played in Winona Lake.
In game one the Lancers would take full advantage of the long ball to help fuel the victory. They wasted little time in doing so as Sami Lemler blasted a solo shot as the second batter of the game.
Chloe Huff got the start in the circle for Grace. She walked her first batter, but was nearly perfect after that. Huff retired the next nine batters in order and in the top of the third the Lancers extended their lead.
Annie Spicer singled through the middle to start the inning and Halle Nett followed her up with a single of her own. Lemler then stepped to the plate and blasted her second home run of the game to push Grace’s advantage to four runs.
The Pilots plated what proved to be their only run of the game in the fourth inning but the Lancers’ offense wasn’t done scoring.
In the fifth frame Bree Gardinier, who had just been passed by Lemler for the team lead in home runs, matched her teammate as her solo shot marked her seventh home run of the season.
Huff continued to dominate from the circle and in the seventh inning Grace took a strangled hold on the contest.
Lemler had a lead off walk and a misread ball from the Pilots center fielder got Gardinier on base. Tia O’Connor then joined the home run party as she blasted a three-run shot to push the Lancers ahead 8-1.
Huff would retire the final three batters in order to secure the win for the Lancers.
Lemler had four RBIs while O’Connor added three of her own. Lemler, O'Connor, Bela Duran and Daylie Rickard all had two hits. With their home runs, Lemler and Gardiner finished tied for fifth in program history for single season home runs.
Grace’s four home runs mark the most in a single game since at least the 2012 season. The three hits that Grace gave up is also the fewest allowed in a seven inning game since 2019.
In game two again the Lancers blitzed out to an early lead.
Nett had a lead off single and with one out Gardinier had a single down the right field line that scored Nett from second base. A pair of passed balls moved Gardinier to third and O’Connor got on board with a walk. The Lancers then pulled off a double steal as O’Connor got to second and Gardinier beat the throw home to double the Lancers’ lead.
O’Connor would advance to third then alertly scored after a dropped third strike from the Pilots.
In the third inning Grace pushed their lead to four. Gardinier got on with a lead off walk and then stole second and third on consecutive pitches. She scored off of a sacrifice fly from O’Connor.
The Pilots got a run back in the bottom of the frame then pulled to within two runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The Lancers shut down any hopes of a comeback though as they held on for the 4-2 win.
Izzy Waddle got the win and Lemler pitched three scoreless innings in relief. Four different players had hits for the Lancers and Gardinier had three stolen bases.
This contest marked the final collegiate games for seniors, Duran, Gardinier, Montana Brincks, O’Connor and Spicer.