ORLANDO, FL -- The Vikings backed up a strong offensive showing with clean defense and timely pitching to secure a 7-2 win Friday evening.

GRAND VIEW 7, BETHEL 2

Grand View wasted no time taking control in the top of the first inning. Elle Nelsen lined a single to center field to plate Grace Anderson for the game's first run. Later in the inning, Ella Taber delivered a run-scoring single to left, bringing home Nevaeh Randall and giving the Vikings a 2-0 advantage.

The offense continued to roll in the second when Anderson singled to center to score Karaidos, extending the lead to 3-0. In the third, Taber added to her RBI total with a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Randall to cross the plate and push the margin to 4-0.

Randall turned in a standout performance at the plate, collecting three hits in four at-bats. She doubled in the first inning, singled in the third, and doubled again in the seventh to cap her big day.
After the opponent answered with a run in the third, the Vikings responded in the fourth. Naranjo put the ball in play and reached on an error by the third baseman, allowing Prickett to score and make it 5-1. The opposition added a run in the fifth, but Grand View maintained control.

The Vikings added insurance in the seventh. Taber drove in Randall with a groundout for her third RBI of the game, and Chloe Kottlowski followed with a sacrifice that scored Cooley to seal the 7-2 victory.
In the circle, Claire Leinin earned the win, allowing two hits and one run over three innings while striking out four and walking three. The Vikings' pitching staff limited damage throughout, and Macy Blomgren contributed a scoreless inning in relief.

Grand View finished with 12 hits on the afternoon. Randall and Anderson each tallied three hits, while Anderson added two stolen bases. As a team, the Vikings were aggressive on the basepaths, swiping five bases.

Defensively, the Vikings were flawless, not committing a single error and playing clean, disciplined softball from start to finish.

GAME NOTES

• Randall went 3-4 scoring 3 times with 2 doubles
• Anderson goes 3-4 with 1 RBI and another 2 stolen bases
• Taber scored 3 of the 7 runs
• Leinen earned the win with 4 strikeouts and 1 ER in 3 innings of work
• Breeding and Blomgren closed the game with only 1 earned run
• Vikings outhit the Pilots 12-4 and committed 0 errors

UP NEXT
The Vikings are back in action on Monday March 2^nd against #19 Southeastern University at 12 & 2 pm EST.