KOKOMO, Ind. - The IU Kokomo Baseball team defeated the Grace College Lancers by a score of 11-3 on Tuesday afternoon. With their sixth consecutive win, the Cougars rise to 15-11 this season and currently hold a 4-2 mark in conference games.

Grace scored one run in the top of the first inning on an RBI double, before Thomas Obergfell hit an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to tie the score.

The Cougars broke out for for five runs to lead 6-1 in the second inning, most notably via an electric three-run homer by Alex Janke to send Riley Garczynski and Caden Whitehead across the plate in front of him.

IU Kokomo scored another run in the third inning when Luke Hanson crossed the plate on a groundout by Caden Whitehead. The Cougars then added four more runs in the fourth inning for a 11-1 lead, starting with a walk while the bases were loaded, quickly followed by a three-RBI double by Jacob Medvescek.

The Lancers scored a run in the fifth inning and another in the sixth, but were unable to put together a comeback as IU Kokomo held on to an 11-3 win, the squad's sixth-straight.

AJ Burkhalter got the start and win for IUK, pitching a scheduled two innings. Burkhalter gave up three hits and one run with two strikeouts in his first collegiate win.

Ben Harris relieved Burkhalter and pitched the third and fourth innings, giving up one hit and striking out three batters. 

From here, the Cougars rotated their mound presence for each remaining inning. Connor Hurt pitched the fifth inning, giving up one hit, one run, and one walk with one strikeout. Jack Bruington pitched the sixth and put up an identical statline to Hurt's.

Nathan Stanley came in for the seventh inning and Brandon Bultemeier for the eighth. Stanley had one strikeout and Bultemeier had two, as well as one walk.

Asa Christie closed the game for IUK, giving up one hit and one walk in the top of the ninth inning.

The Cougars will be back in action this weekend for a three-game road series against West Virginia Tech, with a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday after a single game Friday.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the IU Kokomo Cougars, fans can visit IUKCougars.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Cougar news by following @IUKAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.