WINONA LAKE – A complete game one-hitter from freshman pitcher Hannah Adams highlighted the Grace College softball team’s 4-0 victory over Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Friday.

The Lady Lancers (17-23; 13-11 Crossroads League) split with the Cougars at Miller Field, falling 8-2 in the opener.

During the opening game of the doubleheader, Mt. Vernon struck first with a solo home run in the second inning. Grace threatened to counter in the bottom of the inning with a runner on third, but the Lady Lancers were unable to even the score. The Cougars added an unearned run in the third and three more in the fourth to move ahead, 5-0.

Grace showed signs of life in the fifth inning with two runs on four hits. Morgan Cody singled, Brittany Melzoni doubled, and Samantha Johnson bunted for a hit to load the bases. Brooke Shell then drove in two runs with a base hit. After loading the bases again with a walk, Grace was unable to capitalize and had to settle for the 5-2 deficit.

The Cougars tacked on three more runs for insurance in the top of the seventh, but the Lady Lancers were unable to chop into Mt. Vernon’s cushion in their final at-bats.

Johnson was 2-for-3 with a stolen base, and Shell drove in two runs with a stolen base.

In the second game, Grace opened up the scoring in the second inning. Alex Shipley laced a deep double to centerfield to plate Clarissa Knight. Tiffany Featherston singlehandedly doubled Grace’s lead with a triple down the right-field line. She came around to score on a throwing error.

Olivia Winget belted a solo home run in the fourth, and Brooke Shell scored in the fifth. After Shell reached base, she stole second and third base and forced an overthrow by Mt. Vernon Nazarene at third to scamper home.

Hannah Adams had the Cougars’ bats in knots throughout the second game. She kept Mt. Vernon Nazarene scoreless for all seven innings and allowed just three runners to reach base – one on a hit, one on a hit batsman and one via a fielding error. The freshman hurler needed just 69 pitches in the complete-game effort from the mound, striking out two batters in the process.

Shipley finished 2-for-2 from the plate, and Johnson was 1-for-2.

The Lady Lancers continue league play at Miller Field on Monday against Bethel at 3 p.m. Next week is Grace’s final week of the regular season.