DES MOINES, IA – Grand View came into Easter weekend with a chance to take command of the Heart Conference and did just that. The Vikings swept the Statesmen 4-0 but it didn't come without excitement. The Vikings found a way to win in any way possible this weekend and showed their grit. The Grand View squad also got to recognize the amazing senior class on Saturday and rightfully so. Thank you to those seniors and the families that have supported these young adults through their time at GV.
GAME 1 | GRAND VIEW 7, WILLIAM PENN 4
William Penn jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first, plating a pair of unearned runs off Grand View starter Kaleb Krier. The Vikings responded quickly in the bottom half, with leadoff hitter Brock Johnson launching a solo home run to put Grand View on the board. The second inning went scoreless for both sides.
In the bottom of the third, Grand View's offense came alive. With two outs, Borst delivered an RBI double to tie the game. Hank followed by hustling down the first base line on a slow roller and beating the play, allowing the Vikings to take a 3-2 lead. Tyler Lewnau kept the rally going with a sharply hit RBI single up the middle, extending the lead to 4-2.
William Penn threatened in the top of the fourth with a leadoff double, but the Viking defense stepped up. Carson Wadel made a slick backhand play and long throw to get the first out while holding the runner. With two outs, Patrick Bergkamp made a highlight-reel catch on a shallow blooper to right-center to save a run.
In the bottom of the fourth, Grand View added on. Wadel legged out an infield single and Bryce Stalder followed with a perfect bunt that turned into a single. Johnson brought Wadel home on a sac fly, and Bergkamp added an RBI single to right, advancing to third on a fielding miscue. Borst capped the inning with an RBI grounder through the right side, pushing the lead to 7-2.
William Penn got a couple runs back in the fifth after a leadoff bunt single and loading the bases, prompting a pitching change. Krier exited after 4.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs and recording five strikeouts. Noah Kueter entered and handled the jam, limiting the damage to just two runs.
Kueter followed up with an efficient sixth, needing just 10 pitches for a 1-2-3 inning. Grand View's offense was quiet in the fifth and sixth, but the bullpen held strong. Devin Doyle came in to close the seventh, getting two quick outs including a charged play by Wadel, who made a long throw across the diamond look easy. After allowing a walk, Doyle induced a ground ball to Bergkamp at second, who made the play to seal the 7-4 victory.
GAME 2 | GRAND VIEW 3, WILLIAM PENN 1
Jason Moist got the start on the mound and set the tone early, picking up a strikeout for the first out of the game. Bryce Stalder made a highlight play to end the top of the first, leaping at the wall in right-center to rob a potential extra-base hit and save a run with a runner in scoring position. Grand View's offense was quiet in the first, with Patrick Bergkamp drawing a one-out walk but left stranded.
Moist settled in with a quick 1-2-3 inning in the second, inducing a pair of groundouts to Borst and another to Wadel.
The Vikings got on the board in the bottom half of the second when Hank Himrich crushed a solo home run over the right-center field wall. Brook Heinen followed with a single, and Carson Wadel added a base hit through the left side to put runners on. Stalder nearly drove in more with a deep fly to the warning track, but the Vikings couldn't cash in further.
The game stood still until the bottom of the sixth when Wadel provided insurance in a big way—racing around the bases for a two-run inside-the-park home run, extending the lead to 3-0.
Moist came in to pitch the top of the seventh but after a quick double by the Statesmen, coach Brinker called him out of the game. A standing applause from the crowd as he pitched 6 innings and gave up one run on four strikeouts. Evan Borst came from his short stop spot, to close for the Vikings. Borst earned a strikeout but then faced a tough situation. The go-ahead run at the plate and a pair on second and third. Borst stayed poised and delivered a ground ball that Dane Schwirtz fielded cleanly on a hard-hit ball and ended the game. Grand View took this one 3-1.
GAME NOTES
SENIOR RECOGNITION
Before the action started on Saturday, we celebrated the 28 seniors on the Grand View baseball team this season. We are so proud of them and what they have done at Grand View. We are so excited for their next steps in life. Here are your Vikings for life!
Zeke Balderas
Evan Borst
Erik Broekemeier
Connor Canny
Tucker Christensen
Riley Clancy
Ben Craven
Jacob Draeger
Jacob Forss
Brook Heinen
Rece Heinen
Hank Himrich
Brock Johnson
Kaleb Krier
Noah Kueter
Brody Lamp
Jason Moist
Brock Rinehart
Colby Royal
Drew Scherbenske
Dane Schwirtz
Logan Smith
Kaden Stewart
Josh Stoll
Zach Voelz
Carson Wadel
Jacob Wolver
Jalen Aguiniga
THANK YOU SENIORS!
GAME 3 | GRAND VIEW 11, WILLIAM PENN 1
The third game featured Alex Foster at the mound for the Vikings. Foster retired the first out on a fly ball and struck out another in the first. William Penn tried being aggressive to get the first run of the game, but right fielder, Bryce Stalder, threw a cannon from deep down the line, to gun the runner at the plate! A perfect throw and the tag from Rinehart kept the Statesmen off the board.
The second inning, Foster gave up two runs on a couple hits. Grand View responded with their first run of the game on an RBI single from Lewnau that got through the right side of the infield.
Grand View found their rhythm at the plate in the bottom of the third. Bergkamp singled to right center to get things started and Rinehart copy and pasted that at-bat, bringing Patrick to third. With runners at the corners, Borst sent a sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game. Hank Himrich came up next and tallied a two-run home run that put the Vikings up. A big senior day swing from number 12 was the lift GV needed. Lewnau and Heinen kept the inning going with two outs, and Wadel took advantage, bringing in another Vikings run on a drive to center.
The fourth inning saw much of the same for the Vikings, as Foster took care of business in the top half of the inning. Grand View loaded the bases for Borst, and he took a ball down the right field line for a two RBI double. Himrich kept his bat hot and doubled down the line in left which brought in another two runs. Stalder brought in Himrich later in the inning with a sac fly to put GV up 10-2.
Foster looked in control the rest of the way as he finished the five full innings with three strikeouts and only gave up those two runs in the second.
The bottom of the fifth Grand View added one more on an RBI single from Borst that made it through the middle of the infield.
Jacob Wolver took over for the final two innings and pitched well, with great help from the defense. After a fly out, Wolver dealt a ground ball that went 6-4-3 for an inning ending double play ball. The trend continued in the seventh, as Wolver delivered three ground balls. The defense fielded them all cleanly, and the Vikings took game three of the series, 11-2.
GAME 4 | GRAND VIEW 2, WILLIAM PENN 1
Game for the Vikings had stellar pitching again, which started with Noah Schlup. The Vikings would prove to need this great effort from the right hander, to stay in this ball game.
After a 1-2-3 inning from Schlup, Grand View put the first run of the game on the board. Borst ripped a sacrifice fly that brought in lead off, Johnson, home from third. Johnson arrived at first on a walk and stole second to start the inning.
Schlup trusted his defense all game. While things went still for the Vikings offense, Schlup kept them in the game. The second inning called for double play ball that went 6-4-3 with great execution from Borst and Bergkamp. The top of the third was a 1-2-3 inning again with three ground balls. Bergkamp and Wadel made great plays to first and Schlup fielded a ball back to him to end the inning.
Schlup delt with just three batters again in the fourth inning. Bergkamp took care of two ground ball outs, but Wadel took care of a heater. The senior Wadel gloved a rocket on the hot corner at third and made it look routine.
Some trouble came in the fifth inning as the Statesmen delivered a couple hits in a row. With runners on first and second with two away, the William Penn batter drove a single through the left side and into left field. With the third base coach eager to tie the game, he sent their runner home from third. Hank Himrich had other plans. With a great jump on the ball, Himrich fired a hose down to Rinehart that chased the runner down the third base line. Rinehart put on the tag and the Vikings preserved the 1-0 lead on the arm of senior, Himrich!
This wouldn't hold up for long though, as the tying run came across just an inning later.
With the game tied at one a piece, Devin Doyle came in to hold the Statesmen in the seventh. This didn't come without tension. With runners on first and second and no outs, Doyle dug his cleats in. Doyle caught a liner back to him for out number one and kept the runners put. The next at-bat, Doyle moved over to his right on a soft dribbler and made a hard throw to first to get the second out at first. Now runners were at second and third with two gone. Doyle fielded another comeback ball that was hard hit. As he went to throw to first, the ball was stuck in his glove. Doyle charged first as he tore his glove off and threw his whole glove to first base! An incredible display of effort and the emotions came out as Doyle retired three straight batters himself!
After chaos in top of the inning, Lewnau was up to the box for Grand View. Tyler Lewnau, on the first pitch of the inning, caused a roar from the fans! Lewnau drove the first pitch to deep left field and waved goodbye. The Vikings ended the game and the Senior day with a walk off home run in front of a big crowd at "The Lou". Grand View won 2-1.
GAME NOTES
UP NEXT
Grand View will play their final regular season series next Friday and Saturday against Mount Mercy University. Grand View with high hopes to win the regular season conference race with a series 3-1 or 4-0 series. Tune in on April 25th and 26th at 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM.
THANK YOU SENIORS
