Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The IU Columbus baseball team has had its share of heartbreaking defeats this year, but Tuesday's doubleheader at Grace College had to be the toughest to take. A seventh inning rally to tie the first game, only to lose on a home run. Leading in the seventh inning of the second game, only to lose on a home run. That's a double gut-punch.

Game 1 
Wyatt Sutton's leadoff double led to a first inning run for IUC. Grace College came back to score two runs in the second on two singles and two errors. The Crimson Pride loaded the bases with no outs in the third, but a strikeout and a double play ended that threat without any runs scoring. The Lancers added one run in the third inning and one more in the fourth to make the score 4-1. Sutton walked with one out in the fifth and scored after another walk and a force out. Grace added two runs in the sixth to lead 6-2 heading into the final inning. 

Aidan Sheetz hit a pinch-hit single to start the seventh, and Daulton Phillips followed suit with his pinch-hit single. Sutton singled to load the bases with no outs. Gavin Lash singled in Sheetz for the first run of the inning. After a pitching change by Grace, Carson McNulty poked a 2-run double down the left field line. Lash then scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly, and it was 6-6 going into the bottom of the seventh. 

Jose Ayala singled to lead off the seventh for the Lancers. Cayden Calloway then belted an 0-2 pitch over the left field fence to give Grace the victory 8-6. Ouch.

Game 2
The Crimson Pride scored in the first inning again in the second game. McNulty drew a 2-out walk and Garrett Thurman was hit by a pitch. Sheetz singled to score McNulty for a 1-0 lead. Grace tied it in the third on an error, an infield single, a bunt single and a sacrifice fly.

The fourth inning saw Phillips and Trey VanMeter each smack solo homers to put IUC up 3-1. Grace answered in the bottom half with a pair of runs to tie the game again.

The fifth inning saw Sheetz reach on a 2-out walk and Cortez Jenkins came in as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Quentcy Perry singled, advancing Jenkins to third. Phillips came through with an RBI single to put the Crimson Pride in front 4-3. The Lancers loaded the bases in the fifth, but reliever Gavin Haltom got out of the jam with no damage. VanMeter led off the sixth with a single. After a sacrifice bunt by Sutton, VanMeter scored on a groundout to give the Crimson Pride a 5-3 lead that they carried into the bottom of the seventh.

And then it happened. A leadoff home run by Mayo Fernandez cut the lead to one. Mason Wire and Darl Gustin singled, putting the tying and winning runs on with no outs. Logan Warren then hit a full count, 3-run home run to left field for the 7-5 Lancers win. Ouch!!

Next on the schedule:
The Crimson Pride are scheduled to play River States Conference foe Brescia University this Saturday and Sunday for a three game series at Champions Park in Kokomo.