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Celebrate
Justin Hayworth/Grinnell College
4
Wis.-La Crosse UWLSB 28-15
6
Winner Grinnell College GCSB 30-13
Wis.-La Crosse UWLSB
28-15
4
Final
6
Grinnell College GCSB
30-13
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Wis.-La Crosse UWLSB 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 4 8 2
Grinnell College GCSB 0 0 0 0 1 5 X 6 10 1

W: Hartman, Christin (16-6) L: Remington Stark (21-9)

2
Winner Central College CENSB 33-10
1
Grinnell College GCSB 30-14
Winner
Central College CENSB
33-10
2
Final
1
Grinnell College GCSB
30-14
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central College CENSB 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 10 1
Grinnell College GCSB 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1

W: Sydni Huisman (17-4) L: Hartman, Christin (16-7)

Game Recap: Softball | | Ted Schultz

Huge rally against UW-La Crosse extends Grinnell softball season before it draws to a close against Central

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PELLA, Iowa - In danger of going two-and-out in its first trip to the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament, Grinnell College responded in explosive fashion Friday afternoon.

Trailing the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in an elimination game, Grinnell went wild with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure a 6-4 victory at Central College's field.

The win not only boosted Grinnell's season win total to a school-record 30, but also provided the softball team with its first-ever victory over UW-La Crosse in five tries dating back to 1999.

Grinnell saw its historic season draw to a close later in the day with a 2-1 loss to 22nd-ranked Central College.

Though the Pioneers were matching UW-La Crosse in hits, they found themselves down 4-1 entering the bottom of the sixth. Grinnell got its first run in the fifth frame when Samantha Chu '24 reached on a two-out error and scored on Taylor Durak's '24 double to center.

After UW-La Crosse (28-15) scored twice in the top of the sixth for a 4-1 lead, Grinnell went to work in the bottom half. Emma DiGiacomo-Zahller '24 led off with a single to right field, moved to second on a groundout and took third on Alexa Okada's '24 single to center. Emma Nelson '23 then walked to load the bases.

A wild pitch allowed DiGiacomo-Zahller to score before Amanda Ramirez '23 walked to again load the bases. After a foulout, Chu blasted a two-run single to right to tie the game. Durak added an RBI single and Mary Webb '23 sent a run-scoring single up the middle.

Winning pitcher Christin Hartman '24 sat the Eagles down in order in the top of the seventh to secure the win. Hartman gave up five hits and struck out two in the final three innings in relief of Kathryn Vermeulen '24, who issued three hits and fanned one in four innings.

Okada led Grinnell's 10-hit attack with three hits, while Chu, Durak and DiGiacomo-Zahller had two apiece.

Central (33-10) outhit Grinnell 10-2 in the second game, but the Pioneers were still in contention the whole way. The Dutch scored both their runs in the third inning.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Chu blasted a double to right-center and Durak was intentionally walked. DiGiacomo-Zahller knocked in Chu when she reached on an error before the Dutch closed the door. Grinnell's other hit came from Webb.

Hartman struck out four batters in a complete-game pitching effort for Grinnell (30-14).

Grinnell, which won the Midwest Conference regular-season and tournament titles for the first time this season, set numerous school records in the process. Career marks came via Chu for doubles (36) and Ramirez for double plays turned (25).

Individual season marks were established by Ramirez for games played (44), games started (44) and fielding assists (118), Chu for doubles (16) and sacrifice flies (four) and Hartman for shutouts (four).

Bundles of season team records were set in 2023, including games played (44), at-bats (1,180), runs (262), hits (386), triples (19), bases on balls (146) and sacrifice flies (13).

Pitching marks were set for shutouts (10) and innings pitched (272), while fielding records were for fielding percentage (.972), chances (1,204) and putouts (816).
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