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Taylor Durak
Ted Schultz
0
Illinois Col. IC 19-21
13
Winner Grinnell GC 25-14
Illinois Col. IC
19-21
0
Final
13
Grinnell GC
25-14
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Illinois Col. IC 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1
Grinnell GC 3 2 6 2 X 13 14 0

W: Hartman, Christin (11-4) L: J. Drake (11-9)

3
Lake Forest LFC 29-12-1
10
Winner Grinnell GC 26-14
Lake Forest LFC
29-12-1
3
Final
10
Grinnell GC
26-14
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Lake Forest LFC 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 2
Grinnell GC 3 0 3 0 2 2 X 10 9 2

W: Vermeulen, Kathryn (11-7) L: H. Smith (7-5)

Game Recap: Softball | | Ted Schultz

Grinnell softball team takes down IC and Lake Forest to move within 1 win of NCAA Tourney

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Grinnell College's softball team gained plenty of revenge at the Midwest Conference Tournament Friday, and moved within one win of a repeat trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament in the process.

Grinnell defeated both teams that gave the Pioneers their three losses in MWC play, and did it in convincing fashion by toppling Illinois College 13-0 in five innings and tourney host and league regular-season champ Lake Forest College 10-3.

The Pioneers will meet one of those teams again at noon Saturday for the tourney title. If the Pioneers were to lose, a second championship game will follow at 2 p.m.

While Grinnell's offense was getting the job done in both games, the pitching combo of Christin Hartman '24 and Kathryn Vermeulen '24 was sharp all day

In Friday's first game, Grinnell chased Illinois College's defending MWC Pitcher of the Year after two innings as the Pioneers rolled to the mercy-rule victory. Grinnell's run total tied the highest put up against the Lady Blues this season.

Kambria Anson '24 tied a school record by scoring four runs to go with a pair of hits. Emma DiGiacomo-Zahller '24 had three hits with four RBIs in the Pioneers' 14-hit outburst, while Hannah Dykstra '25 and Kyra Killion '24 added two hits apiece.

Hartman and Vermeulen, with errorless play behind them, did the work in the pitching circle. Hartman got the win, striking out one and giving up just two hits and no walks over three innings. Vermeulen fired one-hit ball over the final two innings.

After shutting down the Lady Blues in the top of the first, Grinnell went to work in the bottom of the inning as DiGiacomo-Zahller hit an RBI single to right and Killion bashed a two-run double to left. Durak added a two-run single to left in the second for a 5-0 lead.

In the third, the Pioneers exploded for six runs as Sofia DiCarlo '25 hit an RBi single to center, Alexa Okada '24 had a sacrifice fly to center, Dykstra cleared the bases with a bases-loaded double to left-center and DiGiacomo-Zahller recorded an RBI single up the middle. Grinnell added two more runs in the fourth on DiGiacomo-Zahller's two-run single to left-center.

In the second game, Grinnell allowed three Lake Forest runs in the top of the first and then shut down the hosts after that. Durak not only tied the school record for runs scored in a game with four, but belted a game-tying three-run homer over the left-field fence in the bottom of the first.

Hartman scattered three hits over three innings and struck out one, while Vermuelen closed out the game to get the win. She issued just one hit and struck out one. DiGiacomo-Zahller sparked Grinnell's nine-hit attack with three hits. 

After Durak tied the game in the first, Anson put the Pioneers ahead to stay with an RBI single in the third that turned into an inside-the-park homer of sorts as she sprinted around the bases when the ball was misplayed by the fielder. Jasmine Oda '25 also had an RBI in the three-run frame.

The Pioneers put up two runs in the fifth on DiGiacomo-Zahller's RBI and Oda's run-scoring single to right-center. In the sixth, Dykstra gave the Pioneers some insurance with a two-run double down the left-field line.

During the day, Grinnell set new school records for hits in a season (390), doubles (76), walks (156) and shutouts (11). Other season marks were established by Dykstra (28 walks) and Okada (11 hit by pitch).

There was also plenty of movement on Grinnell's career chart. Anson is now seventh in total bases with 175, while Durak and Chu are second and seventh for walks with 54 and 43. Vermeulen boosted her school-record wins total to 36 and Hartman jumped to second with 32. Vermeulen is also fifth in innings pitched (357.0) and Hartman moved to ninth (260). On the fielding front, Oda moved to fourth for double plays turned with 19 and putouts with 428. Lizzy Vermeulen '24 is now third in runners caught stealing with 16.
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