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Samantha Chu
Ted Schultz
3
Millikin MILSB 5-2
4
Winner Grinnell College GCSB 2-5
Millikin MILSB
5-2
3
Final
4
Grinnell College GCSB
2-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Millikin MILSB 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 7 1
Grinnell College GCSB 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 5 0

W: Vermeulen, Kathryn (1-3) L: Ward (0-1)

11
Winner Grinnell College GCSB 3-5
9
DePauw DPUS 1-5
Winner
Grinnell College GCSB
3-5
11
Final
9
DePauw DPUS
1-5
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Grinnell College GCSB 0 3 0 1 2 3 0 2 11 9 3
DePauw DPUS 2 2 2 0 0 3 0 0 9 7 3

W: Trani, Emma (2-0) L: Depa (0-2)

Game Recap: Softball |

International tie-breaker provides plenty of celebrating for Grinnell softball team

Pioneers topple 22nd-ranked Millikin and DePauw in extra innings Saturday

DECATUR, Ill. - The Grinnell College softball team and international tie-breaker are becoming fast friends this season.

In both games Saturday of the Millikin Tournament, the Pioneers won via the format in which teams begin each extra inning with a runner on second base. The 3-5 Pioneers have played three games this season decided by the international tie-breaker, and have won each.

The Pioneers began Saturday by toppling the 22nd-ranked host school 4-3 in eight innings, with Samantha Chu's '24 bloop RBI single being the game-winner. Grinnell followed with another eight-inning win, an 11-9 decision over DePauw University.

In the victory over Millikin, which was the Pioneers' second against a nationally-ranked team in two seasons, Grinnell burst out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning on Chu's RBI single to right and a two-run triple to right-center by Kambria Anson '24. That was the eighth career triple for Anson, which is fourth all-time at Grinnell.

Millikin scored in the third inning and twice more in the seventh to force extra innings. After holding the hosts off the scoreboard in the top of the eighth, Taylor Durak '24 began the bottom of the inning on second base and was sacrificed to third by Emma DiGiacomo-Zahller '24. A bit later, with two out, Chu lofted the game-winning single to short left field.

Kathryn Vermeulen '24 was sharp in the circle, giving up seven hits and striking out three batters in getting her first victory of the season. She moved up to third on Grinnell's all-time chart for pitching wins with 26. Chu and Anson led the hitting attack with two hits apiece.

Grinnell's game with DePauw was a wild back-and-forth affair. DePauw went ahead 2-0 in the first inning, but Grinnell scored three runs in the second with Kyra Killion's '24 sacrifice fly serving as the highlight. 

DePauw answered with two runs in the second and third to go ahead 6-3 before Grinnell came alive. The Pioneers got a run in the fourth on an error, added two in the fifth via a wild pitch and sacrifice fly by Durak and three more in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk by Alexa Okada '24 and two-run single to center by Durak. 

DePauw scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth and neither team scored in the seventh to force extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Chu began on second base, took third on Okada's single up the middle and scored on Durak's single to left. DiGiacomo-Zahller plated another run via a fielder's choice.

Winning pitcher Emma Trani '24 sat the Tigers down in order in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the victory. Trani struck out two in six innings of relief work. Durak had four of Grinnell's nine hits and Killion added two.

During the day's action, Chu moved up to third on Grinnell's career RBI chart with 92 and seventh in runs scored with 75. Okada now ranks 10th for runs scored with 67.

The Pioneers conclude the tourney Sunday with a game against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a rematch with Millikin.
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