DES MOINES, IOWA – In a top-25 midweek showdown, No. 25 Grand View made a statement with back-to-back wins over No. 7 Northwestern College. The Vikings showed they belong among the nation's elite, fueled by a total team effort and clutch performances from catcher
Samantha Holbert, who came through in key moments at the plate to lead the charge.
GAME 1 | GRAND VIEW 9, NORTHWESTERN 5
An early error from the Red Raiders put
Olivia Kyes on second before a wild pitch moved her to third.
Nevaeh Randall walked to put runners on the corners, then drew a throw on her stolen base attempt, allowing Kyes to swipe home and plate the first run of the game.
Grand View's defense came out sharp, retiring the first six batters with ease behind
Madeline Waldorf, who recorded two early strikeouts in the circle. But Northwestern responded in the third with a leadoff solo home run to even the score at 1-1. With the bases loaded and two outs, the Vikings clamped down defensively as
Gabriella Taber secured her third flyout of the game to escape the jam without further damage.
At the plate, Grand View stayed patient. Walks by
Olivia Harmon and Randall set the stage in the bottom of the third, and the go-ahead run came off a fielder's choice bunt by
Samantha Holbert that allowed Harmon to slide in safely under the tag. Holbert stole second to put two runners in scoring position, and Taber came through with a clutch single up the middle to score them both, giving the Vikings a 4-1 lead after three.
A scoreless fourth held the lead in place, but a fifth-inning pitching change to
Molly Breeding couldn't stop the growing Red Raider momentum. A two-run home run closed the gap, cutting the Vikings' lead to one.
After two walks to start the sixth,
Addison Halstead came in to relieve Breeding, but Northwestern wasn't done. A third walk loaded the bases, and a fielder's choice followed by an RBI single gave the Red Raiders their first lead, 5-4.
Yet the Vikings didn't blink. Instead, they erupted for a five-run bottom of the sixth on four hits. Singles from
Kylie Merical and Harmon, paired with two fielder's choices, put Kyes and Harmon on base with two outs for Randall. A Red Raider infield error allowed Randall to reach and Harmon to score, tying the game. Then, Holbert ripped a two-run triple—her second extra-base hit of the day—before
Mackenzie Meister followed with a two-run double to break it wide open, 9-5.
Halstead and the Viking defense handled the top of the seventh with poise, stranding a runner and locking down the Game 1 win. Halstead earned the victory, tossing two innings and allowing one run on two hits while facing just nine batters. Waldorf handled the first four frames, allowing only two runs on two hits.
Grand View stole five bases, outhit Northwestern 9-6, and left just seven runners on base compared to the Red Raiders' 10. Harmon and Holbert each tallied two hits, with Holbert driving in a game-high three runs.
GAME 2 | GRAND VIEW 11, NORTHWESTERN 10
Line-drive snags from Kyes and
Chloe Kottlowski in the opening frame energized the Vikings, who converted for five runs in the bottom of the inning. Harmon kicked things off with a leadoff home run that clipped the top of the center-field fence piping. The rally reignited when Randall was hit by a pitch, and Holbert followed with a grounder that moved her to second, where Randall was safe due to a Red Raider error. The pair advanced on a passed ball to put themselves in scoring position, and Taber reached first on another Northwestern error to load the bases. Meister logged the second RBI of the game after being hit by a pitch, and a single from
Reese Cooley brought two more runs home. The final run of the inning came from Meister, who scored on a single by Merical to make it 5-0.
After two quiet innings, Northwestern broke through with a run off a trio of singles in the fourth, but Kyes shut the door with a force out at third to preserve the four-run lead.
Momentum continued to shift in the fifth, as the Red Raiders erupted for three runs on an RBI double and a two-run homer, prompting a Grand View pitching change with Halstead taking over for starter
Madi Huisman. Northwestern tacked on one more to even the score at 5-5, but a diving catch by Harmon in center helped limit the damage.
It looked like the Vikings would have to wait until the sixth to mount a response following two quick outs in the fifth—but Cooley had other plans, punching a single that scored Meister, who had reached after being hit again. Merical followed with a single of her own to bring in Cooley, stretching the lead to 7-5.
Waldorf entered in the sixth, replacing Halstead in the circle. A big strikeout with the bases loaded looked promising, but a Northwestern grand slam flipped the game as the Red Raiders reclaimed the lead, 9-7. Molly Breeding stepped in to close out the inning with a groundout to herself and Kyes at third.
Kyes led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, and Randall followed with a single. Holbert came through again with a clutch two-RBI double to tie the game at 9-9. A Northwestern error allowed Taber to reach first, and Meister laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners up. Cooley's patience earned her a walk to load the bases, and Merical brought in the go-ahead run with a sac fly to left, giving Grand View a 10-9 lead.
Northwestern responded with back-to-back triples, tying the game at 10-10, but Grand View limited the damage thanks to an unconventional double play. Holbert caught a popup behind the plate and threw out a runner at second trying to tag.
With one last shot to avoid extra innings, Harmon launched a double down the left-field line. With Holbert at the plate, the Vikings' clutch hitter delivered again—this time with a walk-off double to left, sealing the thrilling 11-10 win.
Breeding, the fourth pitcher of the game, earned the win, pitching 1.2 innings and allowing just one run on two hits to the seven batters she faced.
GAME NOTES
- Samantha Holbert went 4-for-8 with 6 RBIs and 4 runs across both games. The clutch hitter showcased her power with three doubles and a triple.
- Olivia Harmon was consistent at the plate, going 5-for-8 with 4 runs and an RBI.
- Reese Cooley and Kylie Merical each drove in 3 RBIs in Game 1.
- Gabriella Taber and and Mackenzie Meister each tallied 2 RBIs in Game 2 and combined for 8 putouts in Game 1 (5 for Meister in left field, 3 for Taber in right).
- Nevaeh Randall was perfect in the field with 11 putouts at first base.
- Seven Vikings recorded a stolen base (7 total).
- Grand View outhit Northwestern 22-20 and limited their errors to 3 compared to 6 for the Red Raiders.
- Addison Halstead and Molly Breeding each picked up a win in relief, displaying composure in the high-stake scenarios.
UP NEXT
Grand View will shift their typical Saturday-Sunday game schedule for Easter, hosting Culver-Stockton College on Friday, April 18, before traveling to William Penn University on Saturday, April 19. Both doubleheaders will take place at 1:00 and 3:00 PM.
