By Alexandria Webb
From Friday March 20 to Sunday March 22, Grand Rapids Community College women’s softball team traveled to Sandusky, Ohio to play a total of five games in just three days. The Raiders returned home with a record of 4-1, with the games tallying to an overall season record of 15-6.
The softball team played their first game on Friday against Muskegon Community College. The Raiders led the game until the bottom of the sixth, where MCC tied the game 2-2. Unfortunately, the Raiders were not able to get on base for the final bat, leaving MCC a chance to earn points to win. In the bottom of the seventh, MCC got the game-winning run, defeating the Raiders 3-2.
The team later that day, made an impressive statement as they faced off against Delta College. The Raiders took the win with an outstanding final score of 16-2. In just one inning, they scored a total of nine runs, which led to the game ending in just five innings. Sophomore First Baseman Violet McWinnie added to the onslaught of runs with a home run of her own in the fourth inning. For this game, she went on to lead the team with four runners batted in.
The Raiders continued to dominate as they played another five-inning game, this time against Alpena Community College. Both offensively and defensively, the Raiders dominated, as they took the win 11-0. McWhinnie defensively led the team with 7 put outs, Freshman Center Fielder Ella Showers followed close behind with 6 put outs.
The team went on to face off against Bay College and had an astounding five inning game. They earned the win with a final score of 13-0. The team combined was at bat a total of 15 times, and out of those 15 times they scored 13 runs. Defensively the combined team put outs was also a total of 15.
They ended the weekend with another five-inning game, this time ending with a 9-1victory against Mid Michigan College. In just the bottom of the fourth inning, GRCC scored a total of 8 runs. Sophomore Right Fielder Natalee Beck and Sophomore Left Fielder Libby VanFleet tied in leading the team with 2 runners batted in.
According to GRCC’s athletic news, during the course of the five softball games, as a team, the Raiders posted a .429 batting average, a .659 slugging percentage, and a .507 on-base percentage. Combined, the pitchers totaled a 1.33 earned run average and about 36 strikeouts. Defensively, the team held their opponents to just a .175 batting average, a .216 on base percentage, and a .208 slugging average.
The Raiders will be playing a doubleheader against Delta College on Friday, March 27, starting at 2 p.m. at Belknap Park. Check the team schedule for a location change if home field conditions are unplayable.
