Lancers Get First Win, Split With Yellowjackets
February 14, 2025 at 5:45 p.m.
HOOVER, Ala. - Grace’s baseball team picked up its first victory of the season with a 7-2 win over Defiance on Thursday evening. The Lancers split the first doubleheader of the series, falling 9-1 in the nightcap.
Evan Etchison moved into sole possession of second place on the all-time wins list after tossing five innings of three-hit ball to pick up the win. He fanned seven batters on the day.
Defiance struck first in the opening frame, manufacturing a run after a walk and a single to lead off the inning.
In the third inning, the Yellowjackets attempted to make something happen on the basepaths. Josh Cosme, however, was ready behind the plate for the Lancers. He thwarted two stolen base attempts in the inning to keep the margin at one.
Grace’s next two at bats yielded three runs to put the team ahead on the scoreboard.
Two walks and two stolen bases in the bottom half of the third put runners in scoring position for Matt Friesema. He laced a double to right to bring home Carter Stogsdill and Gabriel Maldonado to take a 2-1 lead.
An inning later, situational hitting led to another Grace run to extend the lead. Cosme singled to open the inning and a sac bunt followed by a flyout moved the courtesy runner to third. Jose Ayala drove in the run with an RBI single.
Defiance cut the deficit back to one in the fourth, but the Lancers scored four more runs to put the game out of reach down the stretch.
After a Maximo De Leon walk, Friesema added his third RBI of the day with a triple. He scored on a Grant Hartley RBI single in the fifth. Two more insurance runs came across in the sixth.
Cayden Borchers came on in relief out of the bullpen to close the door. He continued Grace’s dominance on the mound by not allowing a hit over two innings of work.
Friesema went 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs and a run. Seven different Lancers scored a run in the opener.
The nightcap of the day went to the Yellowjackets by a final score of 9-1.
Both teams had an opportunity to score in the early innings, but the first runs didn’t come until the third frame. Defiance edged ahead with three runs in the third and Grace scored its lone run of the game in the bottom half.
The bats, however, went quiet with Grace managing just two hits and two walks over the final four innings of play. Defiance, meanwhile, plated six runs to take a 9-1 advantage to the end.
Hartley collected two hits in the game and Stogsdill recorded a hit and a run.
The Lancers finish up their four-game set with the Yellowjackets with another doubleheader at the Hoover Met Complex on Friday afternoon. The twinbill is scheduled for 1 p.m.
HOOVER, Ala. - Grace’s baseball team picked up its first victory of the season with a 7-2 win over Defiance on Thursday evening. The Lancers split the first doubleheader of the series, falling 9-1 in the nightcap.
Evan Etchison moved into sole possession of second place on the all-time wins list after tossing five innings of three-hit ball to pick up the win. He fanned seven batters on the day.
Defiance struck first in the opening frame, manufacturing a run after a walk and a single to lead off the inning.
In the third inning, the Yellowjackets attempted to make something happen on the basepaths. Josh Cosme, however, was ready behind the plate for the Lancers. He thwarted two stolen base attempts in the inning to keep the margin at one.
Grace’s next two at bats yielded three runs to put the team ahead on the scoreboard.
Two walks and two stolen bases in the bottom half of the third put runners in scoring position for Matt Friesema. He laced a double to right to bring home Carter Stogsdill and Gabriel Maldonado to take a 2-1 lead.
An inning later, situational hitting led to another Grace run to extend the lead. Cosme singled to open the inning and a sac bunt followed by a flyout moved the courtesy runner to third. Jose Ayala drove in the run with an RBI single.
Defiance cut the deficit back to one in the fourth, but the Lancers scored four more runs to put the game out of reach down the stretch.
After a Maximo De Leon walk, Friesema added his third RBI of the day with a triple. He scored on a Grant Hartley RBI single in the fifth. Two more insurance runs came across in the sixth.
Cayden Borchers came on in relief out of the bullpen to close the door. He continued Grace’s dominance on the mound by not allowing a hit over two innings of work.
Friesema went 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs and a run. Seven different Lancers scored a run in the opener.
The nightcap of the day went to the Yellowjackets by a final score of 9-1.
Both teams had an opportunity to score in the early innings, but the first runs didn’t come until the third frame. Defiance edged ahead with three runs in the third and Grace scored its lone run of the game in the bottom half.
The bats, however, went quiet with Grace managing just two hits and two walks over the final four innings of play. Defiance, meanwhile, plated six runs to take a 9-1 advantage to the end.
Hartley collected two hits in the game and Stogsdill recorded a hit and a run.
The Lancers finish up their four-game set with the Yellowjackets with another doubleheader at the Hoover Met Complex on Friday afternoon. The twinbill is scheduled for 1 p.m.