Alpena walked away with two more losses against Grand Rapids Community College by scores of 10-5 and 8-1.

One significant mistake cost ACC the entire game in each game on Saturday, so limiting those inconsistencies will be key going forward.

“(Grand Rapids Community College) is a really good softball program, and they’re probably atop the conference,” ACC coach Drew Ornelas said. “The girls battled and really played hard, so there’s not much more I can ask of them.”

In the first game, after going scoreless in the top of the first inning, the Lumberjacks stepped onto the bump against GRCC’s offense.

News Photos by Owen Kinzey Taylor Krentz winds up for the pitch during Alpena Community College softball’s game at home on Saturday against Grand Rapids Community College. The Lumberjacks lost both games of the doubleheader, with final scores of 10-5 and 8-1.

The Raiders jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the bases were loaded and Makayla Kamyszek walked Madison Miller.

Miller took the free pass to first base, which scored Amara Kline.

The next batter, Vanessa Hewitt, singled to right field, scoring Samara Kolehouse and Brynn McArthur.

Trailing three runs, ACC responded with two runs of its own in the top of the second inning.

A single from Alaina Saari scored Femke Van Elsacker, and a sacrifice fly from Kenna Tippman scored Shaelyn Lampinen.

With only a one-run deficit, the Lumberjacks were destined to tie it up, and Lampinen’s solo homerun to right field tied the game at 3-3.

In the bottom of the inning, GRCC regained the lead after an RBI single to right field scored Macey Springer.

The score remained 3-4 until the top of the sixth when ACC snatched the lead right back.

Saari doubled to left-center, scoring Lampinen.

A few pitches later, Saari scored after stealing home on a wild pitch.

While ACC had a one-run lead going into the final two frames, GRCC exploded out of nowhere for six runs.

Several costly errors allowed runners to reach and advance around the bases, leaving Kamyszek unable to attain outs.

Ultimately, ACC fell 10-5.

The second game of the doubleheader started completely different than the first.

For the first two innings, both sides remained scoreless.

That was until the bottom of the third when the Raiders took a 1-0 advantage.

A half an inning later, the Lumberjacks returned to tie up the game on fielder’s choice, scoring Elizabeth Romel.

Tied at 1-1, the game trajectory would change with one swing of the bat.

That swing came from GRCC’s Alyssa Wierenga at the bottom of the fifth, where she hit a home run to the right field for a grand slam.

After scoring four runners, Kolehouse barreled another one up for a second home run of the game the next inning.

This ball carried out to the left-center field, resulting in a three-run home run to finish the 8-1 victory.

ACC’s Taylor Krentz took the loss on the mound after pitching six innings and giving up thirteen hits and eight runs.

“If you take away a couple of the errors made in the first game and the mistake pitches in the second game, we really would’ve been right in both of these games,” Coach Ornelas said. “I’m super happy with how the first game went because we competed with a great team, and we’re just looking to keep playing better as the season goes on.”

ACC travels to Grace Christian University today.