WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace College’s softball team picked up a dramatic 5-3 victory over Mt. Vernon in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Grace (5-17, 1-15 Crossroads League) entered the bottom of the sixth inning down 3-0 and were down to their last out in the frame when a little two-out magic made an appearance. The Lancers added two runs to pull within one with two runners still on base.
Sydney Argo then stepped to the plate blasted an 0-1 pitch out of the park to give Grace a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The win was Grace’s first conference victory of the season.
MVNU (13-10, 6-8 CL) took full advantage of the long ball to start the first game, scoring six runs on a trio of home runs. The Cougars led 9-0 after two frames.
Halle Nett had the Lancers first hit of the afternoon which sparked Grace’s offense. Bella Duran would replace Nett on the base paths with a fielder's choice. Tia O’Connor hit a sacrifice fly to score Duran and record Grace’s first run of the game.
The Lancers continued the rally in the fifth inning which started with Paige McCorkle earning a free pass after being hit by a pitch.
A groundout moved McCorkle to second base and brought Montana Brincks to the plate with one out. Brincks hit a ground ball to the shortstop but McCorkle’s alert baserunning caused a defensive miscue for the Cougars which allowed McCorkle to score and brought Brincks to third base.
Sami Lemler brought Grace to within four runs with a two-run blast that cleared the left field fence.
The Cougars came back with five runs in the top of the sixth and Grace was unable to produce the needed offense to extend the game, falling 14-4.
Game two proved to be a pitchers duel through the early innings with each team boasting just a single hit through three innings. The Cougars were able to take advantage of their solo hit being a triple which allowed them to edge ahead 1-0.
In the sixth inning it looked as if MVNU had taken a stranglehold on the defensive showcase as they added two more runs to stretch their lead to 3-0.
In Grace’s half of the inning Sami Lemler had a single to follow up a leadoff strikeout. Daylie Rickard then reached with a walk but a flyout from the next batter had the Cougars poised to escape in the inning unscathed.
Bree Gardinier kept the Lancers alive with a single that fell just between the second baseman and right fielder. Her single brought Lemler around to score for the Lancers’ first run of the game. McCorkle kept the rally going with an RBI single of her own to get Grace within a run.
Argo then stepped to the plate with two runners on base and down a run. The junior could not have scripted a better time for her first career home run as her three-run shot pushed the Lancers ahead 5-3.
With momentum completely flipped into Grace’s favor the Lancers’ defense retired the Cougars in order and secured the 5-3 win.
Chole Huff got the start in the circle and pitched six innings with two strikeouts to get the win. Rickard picked up the save with a perfect seventh inning.
Lemler’s home run moved her into a tie with Bree Gardinier for the team lead this season. Both players are also tied for fifth all-time in single season home runs at Grace.
The Lancers will be back in action on Tuesday for another home contest as they host Bethel at 3 p.m.

Grace Takes 2 Of 3 From Goshen
NAPPANEE, Ind. - Grace’s baseball team picked up two conference wins on Saturday afternoon, defeating Goshen 10-7 and 10-5. The Lancers also played one game on Friday night against the Maple Leafs, falling 9-5.
The originally scheduled doubleheader on Friday had to be moved to a neutral site after field conditions forced a change of venue for the series. The opener on Friday was back and forth in the early going, but Goshen used a six-run inning to seize control of the game down the stretch.
The Maple Leafs held an early 2-0 lead, scoring in the second inning. Grace responded in the fourth inning with a two-run blast from Jose Ayala.
Goshen flipped the script in the fifth frame, plating six runs to push ahead 8-2.
The Lancers tried to chip away at the lead, scoring a run in each of the final three innings, but couldn’t find enough offense in time.
Gabriel Maldonado homered in the seventh. An inning later, he added an RBI single up the middle. The final run was scored by Carter Stogsdill after a defensive error on Maximo De Leon’s grounder allowed him to score.
Ayala and Maldonado combined for five of Grace’s seven hits in the game. Each recorded two RBIs in the game as well.
In Saturday’s doubleheader, the Lancers scored ten runs in each game, leading to a pair of wins.
Grace plated runs in the first three innings to establish an early lead. The Lancers opened up the game with three straight hits with Ayala’s RBI single bringing home De Leon to start the scoring. Matt Friesema added a sacrifice fly to bring home Dalton Cody and Ayala scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 after one. In the second, De Leon doubled for the second time, bringing in LeBlanc. An inning later, Ayala reached and Friesema added another sac fly to score him.
The Maple Leafs worked to keep pace, scoring one in the second and two more in the fourth.
Trailing 6-3, Goshen stormed back with four runs in the seventh to take a one-run lead.
Grace, however, was ready to respond, scoring four of its own to reclaim the lead.
The Lancers loaded the bases with one out. From there, De Leon smacked a two-run double followed by a safety squeeze from Cody. The final run scored on Ayala’s double.
Parker Newby picked up the win on the mound with Hunter Schumacher nailing down his third save of the year.
Four players had multi-hit games with each of them adding at least two RBIs. De Leon went 3 for 5 with 3 RBIs and 2 hits. Ayala was 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs, 2 runs and a walk.
The nightcap of the day started with Grace on top first again. Sean Gannon hit a two-run double to give the visitors the early advantage in the second.
Goshen cut the deficit in half an inning later, but the Lancers used a five-run flurry to widen the gap.
The first four batters reached safely in the fourth, bringing home one. After a fielder’s choice and a balk, two more runs scored. Back-to-back hits and RBIs from Cody and Ayala capped off the rally.
The Maple Leafs weren’t ready to go away quite yet, scoring three runs to stay close.
Grace scored three runs down the stretch compared to one for Goshen.
Two walks and two hits led to a pair of runs in the fifth and the final run for the Lancers came from a sac fly off the bat of Annikan Pettit.
Gannon finished with 3 RBIs, 1 hit, 1 run and 1 walk while De Leon had 1 hit, 2 RBIs, 1 run, 1 walk and 1 stolen base.
Sam Justice and Kyle Reinartz combined four seven strikeouts on the mound with Reinartz getting the win.
The Lancers will tussle with Trinity Christian on April 2 at Tom Roy - UPI Park, starting at 1 p.m.