WINONA LAKE – Grace College softball was able to pick up their third and fourth wins of the weekend during the Strikeout for Cancer games Saturday Afternoon.

The Lady Lancers bested rival Bethel 3-0 and 7-3 at the Miller Athletic Complex.

The first game was a pitchers’ duel until the bottom of the sixth inning. Both teams struggled early offensively.

Bethel was held to a team batting average of .179 by the pitching combination of Elaina McClellan and Chandler Elliott. McClellan started the game with three scoreless innings, then Elliott completed the shutout with four innings of her own.

It took a while, but Grace finally got their offense going in the sixth inning. Two singles by Sam Heim and Clarissa Knight got the inning started. A wild pitch by Bethel advanced the runners and set the table for a two RBI single by Elliott.

The damage did not stop there as Grace manufactured another run after a stolen base and an RBI groundout giving the Lancers a 3-0 lead. Elliott finished off the game to earn the win.

Grace carried their late offense over into the second game and got things started off with a bang. The Lancers led off with two singles to start the bottom of the first. A double steal left runners at second and third for a Knight triple.

The Lancers tacked on another run in the first after a Bethel error allowed Knight to score. Grace had the bases loaded with no outs, but Bethel was able to control the damage and strand them all on base.

The runs kept coming for Grace in the second inning. Singles by Elliott and Ashley Kleinbub gave the Lancers two more runs, increasing their lead to 5-0.

Bethel answered in the top of the third with two runs of their own. Grace was able to limit the damage at two, stranding a Pilot runner at third.

Heim drove in Hannah Herbster with a two-out triple in the bottom of the third to increase Grace’s lead to 6-2. The Lancers plated another run in the fourth on a two-out single by Morgan Cody.

The Pilots tried to mount a comeback in the sixth inning, scoring one run, but Grace managed to strand two Bethel baserunners to end the inning. Allison Franklin closed out the last two innings in the circle after Hannah England started the game. England earned the win.

Heim, Elliott, and Kleinbub tallied two hits apiece in the second game. Kleinbub and Knight finished with 2 RBIs each.

Grace’s next contest will be Monday against Mount Vernon at 3 p.m. The Lady Lancers will look to continue their winning streak against the Cougars at the Miller Athletic Complex.