WINONA LAKE, Ind. - The Cougars of the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) baseball team traveled to Grace College for a four-game Crossroads League series on March 21-22. 

The Cougars split day one against the Lancers, with USF winning game one 17-4 in seven innings before dropping game two 4-2. On Saturday, Saint Francis brought home two wins, beating Grace 4-2 and 12-4 to improve to 11-5 in league play. 

SAINT FRANCIS 17, GRACE 4 (7 INNINGS)

• Ayden Lichtensteiger singled on a line drive to right field to bring in two runs and put USF up 2-0 in the top of the first. 
• The Cougars put together a big second inning, driving in 11 runs to extend their lead to 13-0. The inning started with two RBI walks from Sam Pesa and Lichtensteiger followed by an RBI single from senior catcher Eli Riley to drive in three runs. Callan Stauffer then hit a two-run double to center field before Jayden Lepper had a bases-loaded walk to bring in three more runs. The scoring in the second inning concluded with a grand slam from Kasen Oribello.
• Grace plated two runs in the bottom of the inning to bring the score to 13-2. 
• Stauffer hit a hard ground ball to third base that scored a run in the top of the third, making it a 12-run game. 
• The top of the fourth inning saw a homer from Xavier Gonsalves and a Lichtensteiger reaching on a fielder's choice but scoring Lepper, bringing the score to 16-2. 
• With one out in the top of the fifth, Evan Pearce hit a solo shot to left field to bring the Cougars' advantage to 17-2. 
• Grace was unable to drive in a run until the fifth inning when the Lancers used an RBI double and an RBI single to make it 17-4. 
• Saint Francis kept Grace from scoring again to cut the game short, taking game one with a 17-4 mercy-rule victory. 
• The Cougars had 16 hits and six walks in game one. Riley went a perfect 3-3 from the plate with a double, two stolen bases and two RBI. Oribello also was perfect from the plate, going 2-2 with a home run, four RBI, three runs scored, and a walk. Pearce and Gonsalves also had home runs, while Lepper, Pesa and Stauffer each had an extra-base hit. Lichtensteiger and Stauffer also added three RBI. 
• Gage Smith struck out six batters and scattered six hits after getting the start on the mound and throwing 5.1 innings. 

GRACE 4, SAINT FRANCIS 2 (7 INNINGS) 

• Grace put a run on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a home run to left field. 
• Riley answered with a homer to right field to tie the game up 1-1 in the top of the second. 
• The Lancers brought in two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to retake the lead, with the score at 3-1. 
• Pearce brought in a run off a ground ball to the shortstop to cut the Lancers' lead to one run in the top of the sixth.
• Grace responded with a home run in the bottom of the sixth inning while holding the Cougars scoreless in the top of the seventh to secure the 4-2 win in game two.
• As a team, Saint Francis had five hits and three walks. Riley was 1-2 at the plate with a homer and an RBI. Pearce drove in a run, while Lepper had a stolen base.
• Lukas North threw all six innings for the Cougars, striking out seven batters and giving up eight hits and a walk. 

SAINT FRANCIS 4, GRACE 2

• Aaron Miranda put the Cougars on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning, hitting an RBI single to make the score 1-0. 
• The Lancers responded with a sacrifice bunt to tie the score up 1-1 in the bottom of the second. 
• Oribello led off the third inning with a home run to right field to give USF back the lead. 
• With one out and a runner on second, Lepper stepped into the box and hit an RBI double to left field before scoring later on a wild pitch to extend Saint Francis's lead to 4-1. 
• Grace brought in a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it 4-2. 
• The Cougars held on for the two-run win to take the 2-1 lead in the series. 
• USF scattered 12 hits and had five walks in Saturday's opening game. Pearce went 2-3 at the plate with two doubles and a run scored. Lepper was 2-4 with a double and an RBI. Miranda and Oribello both had an RBI, while Miranda also had a stolen base and Oribello had his seventh homer of the season.
• Blaine McRae threw a complete game on the mound, striking out 13 of the 37 batters he faced and holding Grace to seven hits and two earned runs. 

SAINT FRANCIS 12, GRACE 4 (7 INNINGS) 

• USF's offense started strong, with the Cougars scoring five runs in the top of the first inning thanks to RBI singles from Lichtensteiger and Riley and doubles from Brenden Lytle and Stauffer.
• The Lancers brought in a run in the bottom of the first to bring the score to 5-1. 
• Pesa hit an RBI double in the second inning, followed by a single from Lytle that drove in two runs in the fourth inning to extend Saint Francis's lead to 8-1.
• Grace managed to plate two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, cutting the Cougars' lead to four runs. 
• USF was not done yet, as Saint Francis drove in four runs in the top of the sixth inning thanks to an RBI double from Pearce, an RBI walk from Jackson McKee and an RBI single from Payton Fulton. 
• A three-up, three-down seventh inning kept Grace from scoring and gave USF their 11th conference win. 
• The Cougars had 15 hits and were walked eight times in game four of the series. Stauffer went 3-3 at the plate with a double, a stolen base, an RBI and a run scored. Pesa hit 3-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Lytle also hit a double while driving in four RBI for USF. Five other Cougars had at least one RBI, including McKee, Fulton, Lichtensteiger, Riley, and Pearce.
• Perry Stow started on the mound for USF, striking out four batters and giving up five hits in five innings pitched. 
• Gavin Noble picked up two strikeouts in an inning of relief. 

Up next, USF baseball will host the Foresters of Huntington University on March 28-29 at the Cougar Baseball Field. 

Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.