OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. – Grand View returned to action Tuesday afternoon in the NAIA Opening Round, matching up with No. 4 seeded University of British Columbia after opening tournament play with a victory earlier in the day. In a tightly contested battle through five innings, the Vikings stayed stride for stride with UBC before a decisive sixth inning shifted momentum. Despite a late push in the seventh, Grand View ultimately fell 5-3 and now moves into the elimination bracket.
GRAND VIEW 3, BRITISH COLUMBIA 5
The Vikings struck first in the bottom of the second inning.
Gabriella Taber opened the frame with a hit before
Bianca Prickett came around to score on a RBI single from
Ceara Swanson, giving Grand View an early 1-0 advantage.
Grand View's pitching staff kept one of the tournament's top offenses quiet through the opening five innings.
Madeline Waldorf started in the circle and delivered two scoreless innings, working around traffic while keeping the Thunderbirds off the board.
Molly Breeding took over in relief and continued to battle, helping the Vikings carry their lead into the sixth inning.
That's when UBC broke through.
The Thunderbirds loaded the bases and tied the game on an RBI single from Kennedy Laird. A groundout moments later gave British Columbia its first lead of the afternoon before back-to-back RBI singles extended the advantage to 5-1.
Grand View refused to go away quietly.
In the bottom of the seventh,
Chloe Kottlowski reached base and
Grace Anderson came around to score as
Nevaeh Randall lined a two-run single to right field, cutting the deficit to 5-3 and bringing the tying run closer to the plate. UBC, however, was able to record the final outs and escape with the victory.
The Vikings finished with eight hits on the afternoon, led by Taber's perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate. Swanson added two hits and an RBI, while Randall drove in two runs in the final inning rally.
Caedence Risius also recorded a pair of hits for Grand View.
Waldorf tossed two scoreless innings in the start, while Risius closed the game with a strong inning in relief that included two strikeouts.
Though the result didn't go Grand View's way, the Vikings continued to show resilience on the national stage and will now look to fight their way through the elimination bracket.
GAME NOTES
•
Gabriella Taber went 3-for-3 with a double.
•
Nevaeh Randall delivered a two-run single in the seventh inning.
•
Ceara Swanson recorded two hits and drove in Grand View's first run.
•
Madeline Waldorf threw two scoreless innings in the start.
•
Caedence Risius struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief.
• Grand View totaled eight hits in the loss.
UP NEXT
Grand View drops into the elimination bracket and will face No. 1 Oklahoma City tomorrow at 1:00 PM.
