MIAMI GARDENS, FL – Grand View Softball faced a tough test on Saturday afternoon, dropping both games of a doubleheader against No. 18 St. Thomas University. The Vikings showed resilience throughout the day, battling back late in Game 1 and keeping Game 2 within reach, but timely hitting and solid defense by the Bobcats proved to be the difference.
GAME 1 | ST. THOMAS 7, GRAND VIEW 5
Grand View found itself playing from behind early in the opener after a difficult second inning for the Vikings. St. Thomas capitalized on a pair of walks, a throwing error, and a wild pitch to open the scoring, before back-to-back RBI singles extended the Bobcats' lead to 4-0.
The Bobcats added another run in the fourth on a solo home run to make it 5-0, but the Vikings began to chip away in the fifth. With two runners on,
Nevaeh Randall delivered a clutch single up the middle to score
Grace Anderson and
Elle Nelsen, cutting the deficit to three.
St. Thomas responded quickly in the bottom half of the inning, plating two more runs on an RBI double and a single to push the lead to 7-2.
Grand View refused to go quietly, mounting a late rally in the seventh. With the bases loaded,
Gabriella Taber reached on a fielder's choice to bring in a run, followed by an RBI groundout from
Alexia Jarrett.
Bethany Button then singled through the right side to score
Reese Cooley and bring the tying run to the plate, but the Vikings' comeback effort ultimately fell short.
Grace Anderson and
Bethany Button led the offense with three hits apiece, while Randall drove in two runs. Grand View out-hit St. Thomas 12-8, but early miscues and timely Bobcat hits made the difference.
GAME 2 | ST. THOMAS 5, GRAND VIEW 3
St. Thomas struck early once again in Game 2, scoring two runs in the first inning on RBI hits. The Vikings answered in the second when
Caedence Risius reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Taber to score and cut the lead to 2-1.
The Bobcats added another run in the bottom of the second, but Grand View stayed within striking distance. In the third,
Elle Nelsen singled back up the middle to drive in
Chloe Kottlowski and make it a one-run game at 3-2.
St. Thomas created separation in the fourth with a two-RBI single to extend the lead to 5-2. Grand View answered again in the fifth, as Taber lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score Nelsen and trim the deficit to two, but the Vikings were unable to generate a late rally.
Molly Breeding was strong in relief, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings and allowing no hits while striking out one. Kottlowski finished 2-for-3 at the plate, and Nelsen added two hits and an RBI.
GAME NOTES
- Grand View totaled 19 hits across the doubleheader.
- Nevaeh Randall drove in two runs in Game 1.
- Grace Anderson and Bethany Button each recorded three hits in the opener.
- Molly Breeding combined for 3.4 scoreless innings across the two games.
- The Vikings battled back late in both contests, bringing the tying run to the plate in Game 1 and staying within two runs in Game 2.
UP NEXT
Grand View will look to rebound as the Vikings play Winona State University on Wednesday, February 11
th in Rochester, MN. The double header is set to start at 12PM CT.
