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Kankakee, IL -- GRCC's Softball team brought home three wins from the Kankakee Tournament to improve to an even 9-9 on the season.

With 7-0 and 5-4 wins in their conference opener against Lake Michigan College on their backs, GRCC made the trip to Kankakee for their annual tournament to face the host team, the 10th ranked Cavaliers and the Lancers from the College of Lake County.

First up for the Raiders was the College of Lake County.  The Lancers jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but GRCC's offense picked up and maintained in the bottom of the 3rd.  After a leadoff single by Tiani Beck and a double by Megan Galganski a couple batters later, GRCC's Megan Lee scored Beck on a sac fly putting the Raiders on the board.  The Lancers were held scoreless in the fourth while the Raiders would go on a tear scoring 6 runs in the later of the inning on 6 hits. 

Russelle Slimmen shut the Lancers out in the 5th and GRCC added 3 more runs to take the win in five.  Slimmen earned her first win of the season pitching 5 innings giving up 4 hits with two earned runs and two walks while striking out two.

Tiani Beck, Megan Galganski, Megan Lee and Amber Frye each doubled.  Beck (who batted .588 in the tournament) went 3-of-4 with an RBI.  Amanda Steig and Megan Lee each recorded two RBI.

Following that game GRCC faced the always tough Cavaliers of Kankakee who put on quite a show laying down the Raiders in five innings, 14-2.  Kankakee's starting pitcher Erin Gaston finished the game allowing just five hits with no earned runs and three walks.  Kayla Goodwin, took the loss allowing 17 hits and ten earned runs.  Kaitlyn Schneider went 2 for 3 with a run scored.

While soundly defeated on Friday, GRCC faced Kankakee again Saturday morning.  The Raiders responded to the previous day's loss quickly as Lee and Tiffanie Wolan homered in the first inning, putting their team up 3-0 after just a half an inning. Kanakee responded scoring 2 in the later of the inning, but the Raider's bats were too hot for Kankakee to deny them the win as GRCC and their 15 combined hits upended the Cavaliers 10-6.

Danielle Goad led the Raiders offensively, batting 3-of-4 for with 4 RBI and one run scored.  Kaitlyn Guobis hit 2 doubles and Galganski hit a double as well.  Beck was a solid 3 for 5 from the plate.  Ingrid Kukla earned the win evening her record at 4-4, pitching seven solid innings allowing 8 hits, just three earned runs, while walking and striking out three batters.

The final game of the Kankakee Tournament witnessed another rematch between GRCC and Lake County.  The Raiders got off to a 4-0 start, before a solo homerun in the bottom of the second, made it 4-1 after two.

A scorless third inning gave way to a solo home run by Amber Frye (her 2nd of the season) and a three-run homer by Tiani Beck to put the Raiders up 8-1.  Frye's homerun is reportedly still going.

Lake County battled back in the fifth scoring five runs to GRCC's one for an 8-9 deficit, but the Raiders buried the Lancers in the sixth and seventh for the 13-9 win.  Slimmen picked up win #2 while Kukla earned the Raiders first save of the season.  Beck led the offensive charge again, connecting on 4 of the Raiders 18 hits.  She also had 4 RBI.  Steig and Galganski had 3 hits a piece while Wolan had 3 RBI.

Over the past 6 games, the Raiders have batted an impressive .414.  Eight Raiders batted .300 or better, led by Beck (.565), Lee (.533), Steig (.500), Goad (.500), and Frye (.500).  Six different Raiders hit a home run, Wolan led the squad with 10 RBI, and Galganski led the team with 4 doubles.

Weather permitting, the Raiders will host Kellogg Community College at Belknap park Tuesday April 2nd for a doubleheader starting at 3PM. Kellogg's Bruins are 1-11 in 2013.