On Tuesday, May 19, Grand Rapids Community College softball split its first two games in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II World Series Tournament in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The Raiders took on No. 17 seed, Bryant & Stratton College of Wisconsin, in a dominating 8-3 entrance to the World Series. Yet, the Raiders fell to the No. 1 seed, Kirkwood Community College of Iowa, with a final score of 3-11 in a five-inning game.
In game one of the World Series, the Raiders’ defense was on point as sophomore pitcher Kalani Stowe contributed to two strikeouts and the team shut down a fly ball. Yet, sophomore infielder Olivia Fietz, of Bryant & Stratton, delivered an explosive home run in the first inning, putting the pressure on as they set the tone with the first run on the board.
The Raiders were met with an equal defense, with freshman shortstop Kenady O’Leary getting a double hit off but being left on base as the inning concluded. The Raiders bounced back with an amazing double play to shut down BSC. Offensively, the Raiders responded with a homerun of their own by freshman third baseman Tia Schone, putting them in the lead.
There was a standstill in scoring until GRCC exploded with five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sophomore Lillian Klop hit an amazing double, alongside O’Leary, just short of a full cycle, who hit a smashing homerun, which contributed to the Raiders’ offensive lead in that final inning. Along with O’Leary, freshman centerfielder Caitlyn Horvath contributed three hits apiece.
Stowe struck out a total of nine batters in the 4.2 innings she played, and ended the game by striking out the three batters she faced. Freshman pitcher Megan Lillie earned the win, further expanding her win streak to 16-0.
The final game of the day was against the No. 1 seed Kirkwood Community College. The Raiders were held off from scoring for the first two innings, allowing KCC to lead the game with five runs. The Raiders got on the scoreboard with runs, contributed by Schone with a two-run hit, and sophomore second baseman Grace Salley helped advance a run while hitting a single. Yet, the KCC offense continued to roll on, scoring six more runs to close the game in five innings.
The Raiders will now face Cuyahoga Community College in an elimination match on Wednesday, May 20, at 4 p.m. If GRCC wins this game, they will play on Thursday, May 21, at 9 a.m. The opponent is still to be determined, as the loser of Game 10 will face the Raiders.
The Raiders will not have their regular live feed on YouTube, yet fans can watch for play-by-play updates on GameChanger. For those interested in watching the tournament, there is the NJCAA Network that is available for a fee. For bracket updates, fans can check out the NJCAA Division II Softball World Series Bracket.
