Softball Goes to No. 17 Grand View For Heart Doubleheader

Des Moines, Iowa, (April 14, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College softball team traveled to Des Moines, Iowa for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against No. 17 Grand View (Iowa), Tuesday afternoon.  Missouri Valley dropped both games by scores of 6-0 and 5-0.

The first game opened with both teams held scoreless in the first inning.  Freshman Pitcher Sienna Saggiani (Palos Verdes, Calif.) worked around a leadoff single to strand the runner on-base.  Grand View followed with production from the plate in the bottom of the second inning, which began on a solo homer.  Saggiani eventually worked two outs, followed by a two-out rally from GVU that resulted in another four coming home to make it a 5-0 score.  The first hit of the game for Missouri Valley came in the top of the third, as Junior Catcher Camryn Dilla (West Des Moines, Iowa) singled, but was left stranded to end the inning.  Junior Pitcher Aaralynn Ranck (Marissa, Ill.) took down Grand View in order in the third and fourth innings, striking out one batter during the stretch.  The bottom of the fifth featured another run scored by GVU to give the team a 6-0 lead.  Missouri Valley was unable to put another runner on-base late in the game, and fell by a final score of 6-0.

Dilla had one hit and Ranck pitched 4.1 innings in relief, giving up four hits and one earned run with one strikeout.

Junior Pitcher Chloe Shuff (Cypress, Calif.) worked around a leadoff double from Grand View in the bottom of the first inning to strand the runner on-base and keep the game scoreless.  After Missouri Valley was taken down in order in the top of the second inning, GVU used a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning to move in front, 2-0.  The inning ended when Dilla threw out a runner trying to steal second base.  Missouri Valley put its first batter on-base in the top of the third, as Senior Shortstop Aniah Castruita (South El Monte, Calif.) reached with a one-out single, but was left stranded to end the threat.  Shuff worked through the GVU lineup in order in the bottom of the third, as the score still sat at 2-0.  Missouri Valley was unable to produce in the top of the fourth, while Grand View used four hits to produce another two runs in the bottom half of the inning, and push its advantage out to 4-0.  Both teams were taken down in order in the fifth, and MVC tried to start a two-out rally in the top of the sixth.  Sophomore Second Baseman Allison Loucas (Twin Lakes, Wisc.) reached with a single, and Freshman First Baseman Gabriella White (Pittsburg, Kan.) was hit to put two runners on-base.  However, the pair were left stranded to end the at-bat.  Grand View added one more run in the bottom of the sixth, as the score moved to 5-0.  The top of the seventh began with a leadoff double from Dilla, who moved to third on a one-out single from Leftfielder Taya Brickner with one out.  Both runners were unable to advance from there, as the next two batters struck out and grounded out to end the game with a 5-0 loss for Missouri Valley.

Loucas, Dilla, Brickner and Castruita each totaled one hit.  Shuff when five innings, giving up eight hits and five earned runs with one strikeout.

Missouri Valley moves to 6-32 on the season and 3-17 in the Heart.  Grand View sits at 26-12 on the season and 14-6 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking softball team will host Graceland (Iowa) in a Senior Day doubleheader, Saturday at 2 p.m., at Cargill Field.

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 Box Score-Click Here 

About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.