DES MOINES, IOWA Grand View hosted this weekend's series against the Park University Pirates. A much better Saturday for the Vikings as they took both games and the Game of the Week in the Heart. Park evened the series at two a piece in Sunday and a split conference series.
SATURDAY
GAME 1
Kaleb Krier threw the first pitch of this Heart of America Game of the Week. The first inning went one-two-three for the right-hander. Krier made things easy in the second as well, with a strikeout and not much going for the Pirates. The third inning, they loaded the bases and took advantage of a pitch in the zone. Four runs for Park in the third, but Krier didn't let that faze him. Krier struck out two batters in the top of the fourth and continued to dominate. Kaleb gave up just three hits the rest of the way and finished with six strikeouts.
Grand View's offense faced Park ace in game one, who stands with a 6-0 record to this point. Brock Rinehart earned a walk to put a runner on with two outs in the first. Then a two out rally happened as Erik Broekemeier doubled down the line in left to bring in pinch runner, Connor Canny. Evan Borst kept things alive with a single of his own. Runners were at the corners for Hank Himrich and he called to clear the bases. Himrich ripped a three RBI home run to put the Vikings up four runs in the first inning.
Much of the same in the second. Grand View had two outs early, then rallied some hits together. Dane Schwirtz singled and brought Carson Wadel over to third. Rinehart brought him in on a single towards the second baseman. Broekemeier launched a three RBI home run that exited quickly at "The Lou". Borst jumped in on the fun with a home run on the very next at-bat. Then Himrich made it back-to-back-to-back! Three straight homers for the GV bats put the lead to 10.
After Park brought in four runs, the Vikings tacked on two more in the bottom of the third. Wadel barreled up a ball to left center and rounded the bases to lead off the inning. Rinehart was credited with an RBI as he reached first on an error but brought in Brock Johnson.
Grand View earned two more runs on a ball belted by Rinehart in the fifth inning and a Johnson RBI single in the sixth put them ahead 15-4. That's where it stayed, and the Vikings dominated game one.
GAME 2
The second game of the doubleheader turned out to be a pitching duel. Jason Moist threw a wonderful game. Moist went through the first inning with ease, only allowing a single and leaving the runner on. The second inning he gave up a triple with two outs, but Himrich with a great jump, tracked down a line drive to keep Park off the board.
Moist let up just one hit over the next two innings and earned a strikeout in the third. The infield played a major role in the outing and had a beautiful double play to end the top of inning number four.
The next couple innings went quick for the Vikings defense as Moist went one-two-three in the top half of the fifth and sixth. Again, the infield continued to execute as Moist produced four ground balls in those two innings.
The Grand View lineup started off with a two run first inning. Canny scored on an error by the Park fielders and Himrich drove in Borst on a single into right field. The Vikings didn't produce much else in this one as the defense for Park played well.
GV added onto their lead with one run in the bottom of the sixth inning. They played team ball, with a single from Lewnau to get them started. Heinen laid down a sac bunt which brought him over to second. Wadel then lifted a ball into right field and that brought Lewnau to third. Stalder was up for the big moment with a hard hit ball through the 4-3 gap and the RBI single put the Vikings up 3-0.
Moist came back out for the seventh inning and earned a strikeout before getting a visit from Head Coach Brinker. Moist walked off the bump with runners on second and third. Devin Doyle came in with a save opportunity on the line. Doyle struck out the first batter he faced, giving the Vikings two outs. Park battled though and hit two straight singles that brought the game within one. In the biggest of moments, Doyle delivered. Doyle struck out the last batter of the game on a breaking pitch, to earn his fifth save of the season and the Vikings took game two, 3-2.
SUNDAY
GAME 3
Grand View's left-handed starter, Alex Foster, took the mound in game three of this series. Foster let up one in the first but two strikeouts and confidence at a high early. The Park offense kept their pressure on in the top of inning number two. They drove in a run early and then loaded the bases with no outs and Foster in a bind early. Foster took care of one with a breaking ball that had a Park batter lost. Then Foster offered a ground ball that went 4-6-3 to end the inning! Dane Schwirtz fielded in cleanly and flipped it to Evan Borst for him to turn two. Foster went through the third inning with just one walk in the inning and Park left him stranded.
In the top of the fourth, Foster struck out another batter to start the inning. Then a chopper from the left-handed batter had Wadel charging the ball and fired a missile to first to get the runner. A fantastic play from the third baseman kept the bases empty. Foster appreciated the great fielding behind him and then took care of the third out himself with another strikeout.
After two quick outs in the fifth, Foster let up a two-run homerun that closed the lead to just one for the Vikings.
The Vikings didn't get going early on offense as they faced a left-handed starter for Park. Brook Henein broke the seal, with a leadoff triple in the bottom of the third! Carson Wadel brought him home with an infield single. Wadel beat out the throw to first and then advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Brock went to the opposite field on a grounder to bring Wadel home on a fielder's choice, to tie the game at two apiece.
They didn't wait long to take the lead, as the bats warmed up in the bottom of the fourth. Rinehart slapped a single to left field to lead off the inning. Then Himrich doubled down the right field line to bring two runners to scoring position. Tyler Lewnau ripped a shot down the third baseline that walked the chalk line! Two RBI's for the first baseman and a fly ball brought him to third with two outs. Wadel got picked off at first but aware of Lewnau at third, managed to stay alive in a pickle until Lewnau crossed home plate. The Vikings lead was now 5-2 after four innings.
After Park closed the gap, Grand View took those two runs back in the bottom of the fifth. Brock Johnson launched a ball into the softball field, over the left-field fence. The game was now 7-4.
Jacob Wolver came in for the Vikings in the top of the sixth and the Park bats woke up. They earned two runs before Doyle came in to relieve. Then they scored five more runs and took the lead 11-7. Noah Kueter came in to end the inning and the Vikings were now in catch up mode.
The bottom of the sixth, GV couldn't get anything going and left them with one inning to get those runs back. Park laid down three more runs in the top of the seventh that made things even tougher. Grand View had some momentum stiring in the bottom of the seventh, with bases loaded and a run brought in by Heinen on an earned walk. Wadel looked to make a spark and pounced on a ball but the pitcher got a gift, as he looked to get out of the way from a Wadel line drive, and the ball found in glove to end the game. Vikings dropped game three, 8-14.
GAME 4
The final game of the series, Grand View couldn't get anything going. Park rattled off seven runs in the top of the third inning and Noah Schlup was relieved by Logan Smith. Smith gave up just one run in just over an inning of pitching, and Kaden Stewart filled his spot.
Grand View didn't find any momentum at the plate in this one, as they earned just two runs. Himrich earned an RBI single in teh bottom of the fourth inning and Rinehart took another ball out of The Lou in the sixth on a solo shot.
Stewart pitched 1.2 innings and earned two strikeouts with no runs in his outing. Park found more success in the seventh though and brought the lead to 12 runs before the bottom of inning number seven. Grand View stalled out and had a rough showing on day two of this series. Game four was lost 2-14 and split the series against Park.
GAME NOTES
UP NEXT
Grand View will play St. Ambrose in Davenport, IA this Wednesday. That will be April 16th, at 3 PM.
