Softball Splits Road Doubleheader with Grand View

Des Moines, Iowa, (April 5, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College softball opened a weekend road trip with a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against Grand View (Iowa), Friday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa.  Missouri Valley fell in the opener, then came back to earn a 3-2 in game two.  Grand View entered the games in the "others receiving votes" category of the latest NAIA coaches' poll.

Missouri Valley got in front early in the second game, as Junior Second Baseman Avery Gifford (Kansas City, Mo.) belted out a solo homer to put the team in front, 1-0.  Senior Pitcher Cherrelee Miles (Centurion, South Africa) followed by taking Grand View down in order in the first inning, then working around a leadoff single in the bottom of the second inning, striking out one batter and leaving the runner stranded.  Missouri Valley added to its lead in the third, which opened on a single from Junior Centerfielder Caitlyn Vela (Kingsburg, Calif.).  Vela then stole second base, while Sophomore First Baseman Olivia Bettencourt (Murrieta, Calif.) reached safely on a single.  The two came home on a single from Junior Third Baseman Brianna Vela (Kingsburg, Calif.) to make it a 3-0 lead.  Grand View threatened in the bottom half, using a single and a double to eventually put two runners in scoring position with one out, but Miles got out of the jam without surrendering a run.

After a scoreless top of the fourth, GVU cut into its deficit with a leadoff solo homer.  Grand View again chipped down the MVC lead in the bottom of the fifth, using two hits and one error to produce one run.  However, Miles worked out of the inning with a strikeout to leave two runners on-base and keep Missouri Valley on top, 3-2.  The final two at-bats for MVC produced just one hit, from Sophomore Shortstop Aniah Castruita (South El Monte, Calif.), but the team was unable to increase its advantage.  The bottom of the seventh featured Miles getting the first batter to fly-out, then Freshman Pitcher Chloe Shuff (Cypress, Calif.) came in to finish off the game, taking down the next two batters and preserving the 3-2 win to clinch the doubleheader split.

Gifford had one hit, one run scored and one RBI with the solo homer, while Brianna Vela totaled one hit and two RBI's.  Castruita had two hits and Caitlyn Vela added one hit and one run.  Miles got the win, going 6.1 innings with eight hits, two earned runs and three strikeouts.

Missouri Valley fell in game one of the doubleheader, as Grand View scored three runs in the third inning, then tacked on another six runs in the fourth.  The final score after five innings of play was 9-0.  Senior Pitcher Kim Horsten (Moergestel, The Netherlands) went three innings, striking out two batters.

Missouri Valley moves to 14-16 overall and 8-2 in the Heart.  Grand View sits at 24-7 one the season and 8-4 in the conference.

Up next, Missouri Valley travels to Oskaloosa, Iowa, for a Heart doubleheader with William Penn (Iowa), Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.