ROCHESTER, Minn. - If Saturday's season-opening game is an indication, the Grinnell College softball team should be in for a stellar campaign in 2022.
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The Pioneers scored twice in the top of the seventh inning at the Rochester Dome to rally for a 7-6 victory over St. Olaf College, a team that went deep into the NCAA Tournament Regionals last spring. Additionally, the Oles had played multiple times in 2022 while the Pioneers were getting their feet wet for the first time. The game also proved special for
Lexy Determan, who got the victory in her first game as the Pioneers' coach.
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Lizzy Vermeulen's '24 two-run single to center field in the seventh was the game-winner, plating both Kambria Anson '24 and Amanda Ramirez '23.
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The Pioneers rapped out 10 hits in the game, with two each by Vermeulen, Samantha Chu '24 and Ramirez. Kathryn Vermeulen '24 had a strong starting pitching outing before being relieved in the final two innings by Lane Kohler '25, who earned the win. Each pitcher struck out one batter.
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Grinnell went to work immediately, scoring twice in the first inning on a two-run single by Samantha Chu '24. St. Olaf cut the gap in half in the second inning, but Grinnell tacked on a run in the third inning on Chu's RBI double to right and added a run in the fourth when Kathryn Vermeulen's single scored a run.
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However, St. Olaf countered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-4. Grinnell got a run back in the sixth as Taylor Durak '24 hit a run-scoring single to center, but the Oles tacked on two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.
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Grinnell followed with a 13-2 loss to St. Catherine University, another team that has played multiple times this season. Chu had three hits to lead Grinnell's offense.
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The Pioneers took an early lead, scoring in each of the first two innings on Chu's RBI double to right and a run-scoring single to right by Emma Nelson '23.
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But after that, St. Catherine took over on its way to a six-inning win.
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Grinnell meets St. Catherine and Luther College on Sunday.
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