GRINNELL, Iowa – Grinnell College's softball team continued its hot trend Friday and saw
Darice Wheeler '21 continue her record-breaking ways.
Wheeler had three home runs in Friday's action of the Pioneer Invite to push her career total to 10 just 15 games into her time here, breaking the previous Grinnell career mark of nine round-trippers established by Amanda Stromquist.
Grinnell swept both foes Friday, beating Mount Mary 9-1 in six innings and Westminster College 11-7 for its eighth win in its last nine outings. The wins push Grinnell to 11-4 on the season.
Wheeler had three of Grinnell's 12 hits in the opener against Mount Mary, and
Melissa Anderson '18 tossed a five-hitter and struck out four in getting the pitching win.
Mount Mary scored in the first inning, but Grinnell countered with three runs in the bottom as
Leila Bishop-Parise '21 had an RBI single through the left side and Wheeler a two-run homer to left.
Grinnell scored two more runs in the third inning as Wheeler hit a solo homer to left and
Andi Leff '18 hit an RBI single up the middle. In the fifth,
Flynn Johnson '21 knocked in a run with a double to left and Leff added an RBI single through the left side.
Grinnell finished its scoring in the sixth with the aid of Wheeler's RBI single through the left side.
The Pioneers piled up 14 hits in the second game, as
Kayla Morrissey '18 went 4-for-4 and Wheeler added three hits.
The Pioneers scored in every inning, including a two-run first after Westminster had taken a 1-0 lead. Wheeler had an RBI single to right and Johnson knocked in a run with a double to left.
Morrissey hit an RBI triple to left-center in the second, and Leff blasted a three-run double to center in the third after Westminster had scored twice in the top of the third.
Maggie Remus '18 added an RBI single to right in the third, putting Grinnell up 7-3.
The Pioneers added another run in the fourth, Wheeler's record-breaking solo shot to left-center.
The visitors tallied a run in the fifth, but Grinnell got two in the bottom of the inning on Bishop-Parise's RBI single to right and Johnson's run-scoring single to left-center.
The teams each scored once in the sixth, with Grinnell's run coming on Morrissey's double to left.
The visitors scored twice in the seventh before Grinnell shut the door. Wheeler improved her pitching mark to 4-0 with the complete-game effort, striking out two.
Besides Wheeler's career record, she tied school records for home runs in a game with two and runs scored with four. Additionally, Anderson tied the career record for games started pitching with 66.
Leff climbed up the record books in three career categories. She is now fifth in doubles (23), eighth in at-bats (350) and 10th in games started (117).
Morrissey moved up to third in career assists with 243 and entered the Midwest Conference career top 10 for hits and triples.
Saturday's second day of the Pioneer Invite was cancelled due to forecasted cold weather.
The Pioneers will be in action Wednesday with a twin bill at Loras College in Dubuque. Action begins at 3 p.m.
