[Softball] Grand View Claims Second-Straight Conference Title, Earning Automatic Bid to NAIA ...

Marshall, MO – Grand View softball closed their regular season play with two victories over Missouri Valley College Sunday afternoon at Indian Foothills Park. With the two victories, Grand View has claimed the 2018 Heart of America Conference Regular Season Title along with earning an automatic bid into the 2018 NAIA Softball National Championship.

Game one headed into extra innings, but Grand View was able to come out on top with a 6-2 score in 10 innings. Grand View took game two 4-1, despite runners on second and third for Missouri Valley in the bottom of the seventh.

Senior pitcher, Claudia Farrell (SR/Des Moines, IA), earned her 100th career wins as a Vikings along with striking out 1000 batters following the completion of both games.  

Game 1 | Grand View 6, Missouri Valley 1 | 10 innings |

Bats were slow for both teams at the start of the first game. An early GVU error allowed a Missouri Valley batter to get on base but the first inning ended with no runs for either side.

Grand View got its first hit of the game in the second when Lauren Poortinga (JR/Des Moines, IA) singled to left field but GVU was unable to bring her in. Viking defense took down Missouri Valley to leave the game scoreless after the completion of the second inning.

GVU produced a run in the third, using a pair of hits and two MVC errors to grab a 1-0 lead. Farrell and Lexi Merrit hit singles to start the inning with a grounder from Stanzy Snyder (SR/Johnston, IA) to bring in Farrell.  

Missouri Valley came through with some offense in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer over the leftfield fence, tying the game at 1-1.  The score stayed tied until the bottom of the sixth where MVC was able to get a 2-1 lead off a Grand View error.

Grand View answered with a leadoff single in the seventh from Kristen Webb (SR/Pleasant Hill, IA), who was brought home after Farrell was walked and Merritt hit a single to tie the game at 2-2. Missouri Valley was unable to win the game in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game into extra-innings.

Grand View loaded the bases in the eighth inning but a fly-out ended the inning with three runners stranded. MVC was unable to bring any runners home, leaving two on base in the ninth.

With the international tiebreaker rule in effect starting in the tenth, Grand View took advantage of the runner at second base with sac-bunt from Lexie Biehl (SR/Maquoketa, IA) and a single from Crow to grab a 3-2 lead.  Grand View then added three more runs in the inning.  Grand View defense defended their lead, earning a 6-1 victory.

Poortinga led the team with three hits and one run scored, while Merritt, Kaylee Watson (FR/Stockport, IA), Webb and Farrell all had two base hits apiece.  Farrell picked up the win for Grand View, going the full 10 innings, giving up only four hits and one earned run. With her 13 strikeouts, Farrell also hit the milestone of 1,000 strikeouts in her collegiate career.  

Game 2 | Grand View 4, Missouri Valley 1 |

Grand View took an early lead in the second game, scoring two runs on two hits. Merritt and Snyder started off the inning with singles and scored to take a 2-0 lead. MVC threatened with two early hits but was unable to score, leaving two on base.

Grand View added to its lead in the third, scoring two runs on four hits. Poortinga started the inning with a single followed but Crow with another single. Kelsey Winnett (JR/Coon Rapids, IA) brought in Poortinga off a single down the left-field baseline. Maddie Thilges (SO/Johnston, IA) doubled to deep left-center scored Crow to give GVU a 4-0 lead.

Missouri Valley came through with a run in the bottom of the fourth closing the gap to a 4-1 Grand View lead. This was the only Missouri Valley run of the game, giving Grand View a 4-1 victory.

Merritt led the Vikings with two hits, and one run scored. Yenger pitched six innings for the Vikings, allowing only three hits and one run. Farrell picked up her 100th win for Grand View.

Grand View improves to 41-7 and 31-5 in conference play and will enter the Heart Conference Championships as the No. 1 seed. Tournament Website