Watertown, WI - On Friday and Saturday of Easter Weekend the baseball team traveled out to Maranatha Baptist University for a four game set. Last year the two teams played a total of 8 times, and Grace went a perfect 8-0. This year the team hoped to see similar results.

Game One

In game one, the Tigers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, followed up by an impressive 10 runs in the second inning. 6 more in the third, and another 5 runs in the 4th was all the Sabercats could handle, and the Tigers cruised to a game one victory by a final score of 24-3. 

Jared Garnaat pitched 5.0 innings of 3 run baseball, while Zach Peterson finished the job with a scoreless 2.0 innings. Offensively, Grace was led by Damian Fernandez who had 5 RBI off of a home run and a double, Brayden Chavies who was 2-2 with 4 RBI, and Ben Adnerson who went 3-3 in the contest with 2 RBI. 

Game Two

Michael Bontrager got the start on th emound in game two Friday night, and threw a complete game allowing just one run. The game was called after 5 innings played due to rain. Eric Whiting had 3 hits in this one to go with 3 RBI and 2 SB, and Daniel Wallington and Royce Frieburger each had 2 hits and a 2B in the game. The Tigers would win this one wonvincingly as well by a score of 15-1. 

Game Three

The first game on Saturday gave deja vu from Friday's game as the Tigers leapt out early to a 15-0 lead after a 13 run second inning. a pair of runs were added in the third and fourth innings, and the final score wound up 17-4. Colin Nelson and Matt Hoonhorst splt the game on the mound, with Nelson throwing the first four innings and Hoonhorst coming in for the last three. The duo were efficient, only needing 77 pitches to complete the game through 7 innings of work. Jaden Schoeneman had himself a day at the plate collecting two doubles and three runs scored. 

Game Four

The final game of the weekend looked quite different from the previous three as Maranatha starter Jonathan Jeske pitched very well. Grace starter Brendan Bos however kept pace and it was a pitching duel for all seven innings between the two. The Tigers got Bos an early lead with a run in the top of the first inning, and that would be a ll that he needed. Bos went a complete game shutout with 9 K's only allowing 4 hits. The Tigers were able to scratch across two more runs later in the game to eek out game four by a final of 3-0. Dylan Thomas scored two of the Tigers' runs.

"We always tell our guys, the hardest thing to do in baseball is sweep a team," said Coach Wolfe afterwards. "They wanted to win the last game just as bad as we did, if not more. I was proud of the boys for doing whatever it took to get the job done in the last game, even if it wasn't as easy as the first few. They had a good arm on the mound and we found a way."

The Tigers have now won 13 of their last 16 games, and have swept their last two weekend series'. Their next games are Tuesday at Kalamazoo College, followed by Alice Lloyd College (Ky) coming this weekend for four games. Grace's Senior Day will be on Saturday against Alice Lloyd before the first game.