Trinity Lutheran’s softball team scored pairs of runs in the first two innings, and single runs in the third and fifth innings to defeat Jac-Cen-Del 6-2 at home Friday afternoon.

The win gave the Cougars a 3-0 record for the week.

“It’s a very pleasant surprise,” Cougars head coach Bob Tabeling said.

Freshman left-hander Grace Lance went the distance on the mound for the Cougars and allowed five singles, one earned run, she had seven strike outs and didn’t walk any.

“Grace has just done a great job of throwing strikes,” Tabeling said. “Tonight she got behind early in the count, but she made that adjustment and started being more aggressive and attacking them. She pitched another great game. She’s getting her trial by fire and she’s doing an excellent job. She’s responding.”

The Cougars didn’t wait long to get their offense going as Bailey Tabeling led off the bottom of the first with a single, Lance walked and Madison Keith was hit by a pitch.

After Tabeling scored on a wild pitch, Ally Russell grounded out to short to drive in Lance.

Lance had two strikeouts in the first inning, but in the second the Eagles touched her for three singles, plus the Cougars had an error and a passed ball and the visitors tied the game at 2-2.

With one out in the bottom of the second, Morgan Brewer doubled and Amanda Fink struck out but was safe at first on a passed ball with Brewer scoring.

Tabeling and Lance followed with singles, before Keith hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Fink.

Olivia Cain led off the third inning with a double and scored on a wild pitch, and Hannah Kerkhof led off the fifth with a single and scored on a fielder’s choice by Bella VanCuren.

Lance, meanwhile, retired 10 straight batters between the third and sixth innings.

Tabeling had two hits and scored one run, Vance had a hit, walk and scored a run, and Keith was on base three times on a hit by pitch, error and single.

Trinity had a total of eight hits, and the Cougars stole four bases and advanced on one passed ball and three wild pitches.

“We were aggressive on the bases and we have been this year,” Coach Tabeling said.

“It’s been nice, especially with (Jac-Cen-Del’s Bailey Groth) throwing that change up. It’s a different kind of change up and you can steal off of that in flight. If we saw the change up we told them to go. Our speed helped with creating some of those runs.

“It’s nice to see us putting one or two runs on the board every inning.”

The Cougars have scored 30 runs in their three wins. Trinity will next host Orleans Monday at 5:30 p.m.