NORWALK, IOWA – Grand View Softball made their Des Moines Metropolitan debut just 16 miles south of their home field, sweeping Saint Ambrose in a dominant doubleheader at Fareway Fields on Sunday. The Vikings controlled both games from start to finish, fueled by strong pitching, solid defense, and timely hitting. Capitalizing on key scoring opportunities and keeping the Bees off the board, Grand View secured a pair of commanding five-inning victories.
GAME 1 | GRAND VIEW 9, SAINT AMBROSE 0 (5 INNINGS)
Madeline Waldorf dominated in the circle, opening the game with back-to-back strikeouts before forcing a flyout to end the top of the first. The Vikings quickly capitalized, jumping to a three-run lead.
Kylie Merical drove in
Olivia Harmon and
Nevaeh Randall with a two-RBI double, followed by an unearned run as
Chloe Kottlowski reached on an error.
A pivotal five-run third inning put the game firmly in Grand View's control.
Mackenzie Meister started the rally with a double, and Merical followed with a walk. Kottlowski then delivered a two-RBI double, bringing Meister and Merical home. Waldorf added a single, setting up
Cheyenne Jones for another two-RBI double before Randall capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to plate Jones.
In the fourth, Merical and Kottlowski each recorded a hit, and
Lark Drake's groundout RBI provided one final insurance run, making it 9-0.
Defensively, highlights included a throw-out at second from catcher
Samantha Holbert in the second inning and a key catch in left field by Meister in the final frame. Waldorf was the standout of the game though, sealing the five-inning shutout with eight strikeouts, six flyouts, and just four hits allowed.
Grand View finished with nine runs, 10 hits, and one error. Merical led the offense, going 2-for-2 with a single, a double, a walk, two RBIs, and three runs scored.
GAME 2 | GRAND VIEW 11, SAINT AMBROSE 0 (5 INNINGS)
Kylie Merical set the tone early, turning a double play in the top of the first before
Molly Breeding capped off the inning with a strikeout.
After a quiet first inning, Grand View got on the board in the second.
Chloe Kottlowski knocked a double out to center field, and a single from
Madeline Waldorf, combined with smart baserunning, put both in scoring position.
Lark Drake's sacrifice fly brought in Kottlowski, and
Olivia Harmon followed with an RBI double to score Waldorf, giving the Vikings a 2-0 lead.
With Breeding dealing in the circle, Grand View kept its focus on offense. The freshman right-hander was dominant, striking out nine and allowing just one hit in her five-inning shutout performance.
The Vikings put the game out of reach in the third, erupting for nine runs in the half-inning. The rally featured key hits from
Samantha Holbert, who led off with a double, and
Lark Drake, who drove in two runs with a pair of singles.
Nevaeh Randall added a two-RBI double, but the highlight of the inning came from
Mackenzie Meister. After following Holbert's double with an RBI triple to right field, Meister stepped up to the plate again later in the inning with two outs and a runner on third. This time, she crushed a two-run homer, her first of the season, over the fence to cap off the scoring at 11-0.
With a dominant showing at the plate and in the circle, Grand View closed out another five-inning victory to complete the series sweep.
GAME NOTES
- Mackenzie Meister was locked in at the plate, going 4-for-6 on the day with a single, double, triple, and home run, tallying 3 RBIs and 3 runs.
- Chloe Kottlowski matched her 4-for-6 performance with 2 singles, 2 doubles, and 2 RBIs.
- Nevaeh Randall contributed 3 RBIs, 2 hits, and 2 runs.
- Madeline Waldorf and Molly Breeding both recorded shutout wins, playing key roles in limiting Saint Ambrose offensively.
- Grand View racked up 23 hits over both games.
UP NEXT
After a 20-game start to the season, the Vikings will get a well-earned break before returning to action on Sunday, March 23, in Marshall, Missouri. They'll open conference play with a doubleheader against Missouri Valley, with first pitch set for 1:00 PM, followed by Game 2 at 3:00 PM.
