The IUS softball team defeated Grace College 5-3 on March 6, at the Koetter Sports Softball Complex.
IU Southeast hosted the Grenadier Classic, and the win improved their record to 4-5 on the season and advanced them to the championship game.
The Grenadiers began the first inning with a triple by Megan Sutherland, freshman second base, and a base hit by Amber Pedersen, junior right fielder, that scored Sutherland.
“We played with a lot of intensity today, and we played the way we know how to play,” Sutherland said.
The Grenadiers jumped out to a 4-0 lead after a successful fourth inning. Shana Andres, senior shortstop, reached first base on an error.
Andres stole second base and Stephanie Schuman, sophomore designated hitter, hit a double which brought in Andres to score.
The next hitter, freshman third base Katie Jelinek, hit a double and batted in Schuman to increase the Grenadier lead to 3-0. The fourth run came when Tara Denzik, senior first base, singled and brought in Jelinek making the score 4-0.
“Our bats worked a lot better this game,” Todd Buckingham, head coach of the Grenadiers, said. “We have been struggling to score.”
Denzik went 2-for-3 for the game, and hit a single in the sixth inning which brought in Andres to score, bumping the lead to 5-0.
“We played really good today,” Denzik said. “We really came together as a team today, and everyone stepped up and did their job when they needed to.”
Just as the game looked unreachable, the Lady Lancers came back in the bottom of the sixth inning and scored three runs.
Grace College freshman Samantha Fields drove in senior Rachel Braddock. Freshman Jessica Anton followed with a two run double. This brought the Lancers within two runs of the Grenadiers, at 5-3.
The sixth inning prompted a pitching change and Kayla Duke, sophomore pitcher, came in the game to relieve freshman pitcher Mileah Walker.
“Mileah Walker pitched a great game today, and Kayla Duke did a great job coming in and getting a save for us,” Buckingham said.
Duke ended the sixth inning by striking out Grace College freshman Alaina Munson and was credited with a save.
“I am very proud of myself for pulling a good game out for the team,” Walker said. “I am really proud and impressed by the performance we pulled together today.”
The young Grenadier team held the Lady Lancers scoreless in the seventh inning, clinching the win at home 5-3.
“We have a lot of young players with a lot of heart this season,” Andres said. “I thought it was a really good game today. We jumped on it from the beginning.”
The Grenadiers suffered a loss the day before in the Grenadier Classic to Taylor University that didn’t sit well with the players.
“We had a disappointing loss yesterday, and we were hungry to win today,” Denzik said.
The Grenadier coaches and players are optimistic and look forward to a successful season.
“We are a very young team, but our goal is always to win the conference tournament,” Buckingham said. “My expectations for this season are to get that accomplished and to continue to play better every game.”
The Grenadiers went on to win the Grenadier Classic, as they defeated Grace College again in the championship game by a score of 7-0.
The IUS softball team’s next home game is March 18 against Lindsey Wilson College.
By NIKOLETTE LANGDON
Staff Writer
nlangdon@umail.iu.edu