The Viking softball team kicked off its official season with a four-game stint in Claremore, Oklahoma, over the weekend. GV came home winless, but faced tough competition and gained valuable experience playing Rogers State and Evangel University .

On Saturday, Rogers State took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Grand View came back in the third with three runs. Senior Meghan Tomlinson led off the inning, with junior Sarah Thomas backing it up with a base hit. Tomlinson scored from a wild pitch. Emily Gilbert made it to first base on a wild pitch. Courtney Yacinich came up with a base hit and scored Thomas and Gilbert to take the lead 3-2. Rogers State ended up scoring in the third and fifth innings to 3-1. Tomlinson was 2-for-4 in the game.

The Grand View softball team traveled to the UNI dome in Cedar Falls last Friday. The ladies went 2-0 in exhibition play against Iowa Lakes Community College.

In game one, senior pitcher Kylee Jones had a good outing with four strike-outs and no runs scored. Freshman Lauren Vitiello came into close in the seventh inning and struck out one batter. The defense was solid, only letting one run score in the seventh inning. After taking a 2-0 lead in the first, senior Erin Liebe got a two-out base hit, followed by senior Gabby Grgurich's base hit. Senior Meghan Tomlinson connected for another two-out base hit to score both Liebe and Grgurich. Grand View won game one 4-1.

The Midwest Collegiate Conference softball preseason poll, as voted on by the coaches, has been released. Grand View is predicted to be the top team in the MCC in 2010. Last season, the Vikings were 35-19 and 20-8 for third place in the MCC. William Penn is picked to be the runner-up team and Mount Mercy is predicted to finish in third place. Waldorf is expected to finish fourth in the league followed by St. Ambrose, Iowa Wesleyan, Clarke, Viterbo, and Ashford.

The Vikings return All-American, All-Region, and All-Conference outfielder Meghan Tomlinson (Fort Worth, Texas) and All- Region and All-Conference outfielder Courtney Yacinich (Urbandale, Iowa). Also returning are All-Conference catchers Megan Anderson (Des Moines, Iowa) and Amanda Phillips (Waukee, Iowa) and All-Conference infielder Whitney Link (Ankeny, Iowa).

BreakThrew Fastpitch and Grand View University Softball will again host its Winter Softball Schools. A School for Pitching and a School for Hitting/Utility will be offered for girls in 3rd-12th grades.

Pitching School
Grades 3rd-6th: 9:00 am - Noon, December 27 & 28
Grades 7th-12th: 1:00 - 4:00 pm, December 27 & 28

Hitting/Utility School
Grades 3^rd-6^th: 1:00 - 4:00 pm, December 27 & 28
Grades 7^th-12^th: 9:00 am - Noon, December 27 & 28