DES MOINES, IA – Grand View Softball split a home doubleheader against William Penn University, powered by a dominant showing in the circle in Game 1 before the Statesmen's bats surged in Game 2 to even the series. GAME 1 | GRAND VIEW 4, WILLIAM PENN 0 Grand View leaned on a lights-out performance from Madeline Waldorf to open the day, as the right-hander delivered a complete game shutout to silence the Statesmen.
Waldorf set the tone early and never let up, striking out 12 batters while allowing just two hits across seven innings of work. Despite issuing three walks, she worked efficiently out of any trouble, keeping William Penn off the scoreboard throughout.
Offensively, the Vikings found their breakthrough in the fourth inning. Elle Nelsen sparked the rally with a double, setting the stage for Alexia Jarrett, who crushed a two-run home run to give Grand View a 2-0 lead.
The Vikings capitalized on pressure shortly after. With runners on, Gabriella Taber crossed the plate on a catcher's error, followed by Bianca Prickett scoring on the same play to extend the lead to 4-0.
That cushion was more than enough for Waldorf, who closed the door with authority. Grand View's defense backed her up with a clean performance, committing no errors behind the dominant outing.
Jarrett led the offense with two hits and two RBIs, while Caedence Risius added a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate. GAME 2 | WILLIAM PENN 13, GRAND VIEW 4 Game 2 opened with fireworks from both sides, but it was William Penn who maintained the offensive momentum to secure the split.
The Statesmen struck first with a three-run home run in the opening inning, but Grand View responded quickly. Jarrett continued her strong day at the plate, launching a two-run homer to cut the deficit to 3-2.
William Penn answered immediately, stringing together extra-base hits and timely singles to build a 6-2 lead after two innings and extend it further in the third.
Grand View showed signs of life in the third inning. Nevaeh Randall and Elle Nelsen helped set the table for Reese Cooley, who delivered a two-RBI single to bring the Vikings within four at 8-4.
However, the Statesmen pulled away in the fourth inning with a surge of power at the plate, highlighted by multiple home runs and run-scoring hits that pushed the lead into double digits. A solo home run in the fifth capped the scoring at 13-4.
The Vikings tallied eight hits in the contest, with Risius recording two and Cooley driving in a pair. Jarrett added her second home run of the day, finishing with four RBIs across the doubleheader. GAME NOTES
• Madeline Waldorf tossed a complete game shutout with 12 strikeouts, allowing just two hits.
• Alexia Jarrett recorded home runs in both games and totaled 4 RBIs on the day.
• Caedence Risius went a combined 5-for-6 across both games.
• Reese Cooley drove in 2 RBIs in Game 2.
• Grand View out-hit William Penn 15-15 across the doubleheader.
• The Vikings played error-free defense in Game 1. UP NEXT
Grand View will continue conference play as they travel to Canton, Missouri today to face Culver-Stockton College at 1& 3PM, looking to build on a strong Game 1 performance and regain momentum.