Softball Splits Against Graceland on Senior Day

Marshall, Mo., (April 29, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College softball team welcomed in Graceland (Iowa) for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader to close the regular season Monday afternoon in Marshall, Mo.  The Vikings rallied from an early deficit to win the opener, 6-4, but fell in the second game, 3-0.

Missouri Valley went in front early in the first game, as Junior Centerfielder Caitlyn Vela (Kingsburg, Calif.) led off the bottom of the first with a double.  Vela came home later in the at-bat on a sac-bunt from Sophomore Shortstop Aniah Castruita (South El Monte, Calif.) to make it a 1-0 score.  Graceland answered with a rally in the top of the second, producing two runs on four hits.  Senior Pitcher Kim Horsten (Moergestel, The Netherlands) ended the inning with a strikeout to strand a pair of runners, but MVC trailed, 2-1.  The Vikings answered in the bottom of the inning, as Junior Third Baseman Brianna Vela (Kingsburg, Calif.) reached safely on an error, while Senior Rightfielder Chrisha Gray (Modesto, Calif.) walked and Sophomore First Baseman Stella Chashin (Alameda, Calif.) singled to load the bases with no outs.  Sophomore Catcher Makayla Casjens (Galt, Calif.) singled to bring home Brianna Vela, while Sophomore Leftfielder Hailey Simons (Pleasanton, Calif.) hit a grounder that allowed Gray to score.  Caitlyn Vela followed with an RBI single, and the rally was capped with Missouri Valley moving back in front, 4-2.

Horsten took down GU in order in the third, then worked around a leadoff single to strike out one and strand the runner on-base in the fourth.  The Vikings added to their advantage in the bottom of the fourth, as Castruita singled to score Simons and Senior Catcher Cris Aguilar (Livingston, Calif.) reached safely on an error that allowed Castruita to score and make it a 6-2 contest.  The Yellowjackets got one of those runs back in the fifth inning to cut the deficit down to 6-3.  The top of the sixth featured two more strikeouts for Horsten as Graceland was taken down in order.  The Vikings threatened in the bottom half, as both Casjens and Junior Second Baseman Avery Gifford (Kansas City, Mo.) singled, but the two were left stranded.  Graceland shrunk its deficit in the top of the seventh, using a pair of singles and an error to score one run.  With the tying run at the plate and no outs, Freshman Pitcher Chloe Shuff (Cypress, Calif.) pitched in relief and struck out the next three batters to secure the victory for Missouri Valley, 6-4.

Caitlyn Vela finished with two hits, one run and one RBI, while Cashin added two hits and one run.  Casjens totaled two hits and one RBi, and Castruita had one hit, one run and two RBI's.  Horsten picked up the win, going into the seventh inning with nine hits, three earned runs and seven strikeouts.

Game two started with Senior Pitcher Cherrelee Miles (Centurion, South Africa) striking out a pair and stranding one runner in the top of the first inning.  The Vikings had three hits in the bottom half of the first, coming from Sophomore Designated Player Sophie De Rouin (Vienna, Austria), Brianna Vela and Aguilar, but none of the baserunners were able to reach home safely.  Miles struck out four batters over the next two innings, then worked around a walk and a single in the top of the fourth to strand a pair of runners on-base to keep the game scoreless.  Graceland threatened again in the fifth, putting another pair of runners on-base, but Miles got out of the jam once again without surrendering a run.  The Yellowjackets broke through in the sixth, using two hits and one error to produce one run and move in front, 1-0.  A two-out double in the top of the seventh extended the GU lead to 3-0.  The top of the seventh featured the first base-hit for MVC since the third inning, as Sophomore Rightfielder Jena Emerson (Live Oak, Calif.) singled to start the at-bat, followed by a single from Cashin.  An error on the Cashin hit extended the play, but Emerson was thrown out at home.  The Vikings were unable to produce in the rest of the inning, and fell by a final score of 3-0.

Caitlyn Vela, De Rouin, Brianna Vela, Aguilar, Emerson, Cashin and Gifford all had one hit for the Vikings.  Miles went six innings with four hits and two earned runs, striking out seven.

Missouri Valley moves to 18-26 overall and 12-12 in the Heart.  Graceland sits at 26-21 on the season and 11-13 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking softball team will play in the double-elimination Heart  Conference Tournament.  This is the program's first appearance in the postseason tournament since 2017.  Missouri Valley is the No. 7 seed and play No. 2 seed Baker (Kan.) in the opening round, Thursday at 2:30 p.m.  The Vikings were swept by the Wildcats at home in a doubleheader back on April 14.

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.