- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,243,690
- Reaction score
- 59
FORT DODGE — With one swing of the bat, Sophie Bird changed everything for Grand View Christian during the Class 2A Iowa high school softball state championship game on Thursday, July 23.
The Thunder freshman crushed a grand slam over the fence in left field during the bottom of the fourth to instantly erase four GVC errors and a 4-0 deficit. That blast sparked a 7-6 comeback GVC win to claim the program's first state championship.
"It felt so good," Bird said. "This means so much to me. It's just unbelievable right now."
Grand View Christian earned the crown in its first-ever trip to the state tournament. The top-seeded Thunder also became the first state champion of any class under the tournament's new double-elimination format.
The Thunder took full advantage of the new format, rebounding from a 4-3 upset loss to No. 8 seed Cardinal in the opening round and winning five straight games to hoist the Class 2A trophy. They defeated Hinton (7-4), won a rematch with Cardinal (11-3), and swept two games from Regina Catholic (11-8 and 4-2) before taking down Wapsie Valley in the title game.
"This group is amazing," said Grand View Christian coach Krista DeMeulenaere. "We've been down in every single game we've played here. We've played six games and we've been down in every one at some point or another. These girls are just like — we can do it with our bats; we can do it with our fielding. All we have to do is just step up."
They certainly stepped up against Wapsie Valley.
The Thunder fell behind 4-0 through 2 1/2 innings. Early-game jitters played a huge role in the deficit as they committed four errors, including three in a three-run third inning by the Warriors.
More: Coaches weigh in on new Iowa softball state tournament format
But going into the bottom of the third, GVC catcher Maiah Murphy came out and told her teammates that great teams do not stay down.
Bird and crew took Murphy's message to heart in the bottom of the third.
GVC loaded the bases with one out after Morgan Pelham and Livy VanDerSluis reached on infield hits and Murphy reached safely on a fielder's choice. Bird then came up to the plate and instantly became a GVC legend.
She got a hold of a pitch from Wapsie Valley's Taylor Buhr and belted a 235-foot rocket over the fence in left field to tie the game.
"I didn't think," Bird said. "I just sort of went for it, and I was like 'that's gone', and I started celebrating with my team."
It was Bird's third home run of the state tournament.
More: Iowa high school state softball tournament 2026: Scores, brackets
"It was all my teammates," Bird said. "They put so much confidence into me. We all believe the mission of 'We over me.'"
GVC scored the go-ahead run later in the inning when Harper Rosado tripled down the right field line with two outs and later scored on a wild pitch.
The Thunder added an insurance run in the fourth inning and another in the sixth to increase their advantage.
Pelham scored on a grounder from VanDerSluis in the fourth. In the bottom of the sixth, Jada Rogers singled, stole second and scored after Murphy singled and Wapsie Valley committed a throwing error.
Those two runs proved to be crucial.
In the top of the seventh inning, Wapsie Valley's Maddie Ladeburg crushed a 238-foot two-run shot over the fence in center field. It was just a one-run game with no outs on the board.
But GVC did not get rattled.
The Thunder made multiple trips to the circle to motivate sophomore pitcher Chloe Cox, and the Thunder ace delivered. She forced a fly out and a ground out, then worked around a two-out single from Maya Barnes to force a ground out to VanDerSluis at short for the final out.
"A lot of us cried," Cox said. "It felt so good to win it."
Cox gave up four earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks in seven innings as the winning pitcher. Bird was 1-for-4 with four RBIs and a couple of nice plays at third base to wrap up 2A all-tournament team captain honors.
With several players making big contributions all week, GVC fittingly had eight players collect a hit against Wapsie Valley. Rogers was 2-for-3 and Bird, Cox, Murphy, VanDerSluis, Rosado and Grace Kruse each had one.
"We knew this was the year," Cox said. "We trusted everybody to do their part in this. Everybody did great."
The Thunder finished their historic championship season with a 32-4 record.
Wapsie Valley ended its second-consecutive trip to state after a 47-year absence with a 21-8 record. The Warriors defeated Ridgeview and picked up two wins over Logan-Magnolia to reach the title game.
Buhr took the loss after giving up five earned runs on five hits and two walks with one strikeout in three innings. She also went 3-for-4 with two runs at the plate.
Lola Destival went 2-for-4 with a run; Sawyer Buhr was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Barnes and Ladeburg each picked up one hit for the Warriors.
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Grand View Christian claims program's first Iowa softball state title
Continue reading...
The Thunder freshman crushed a grand slam over the fence in left field during the bottom of the fourth to instantly erase four GVC errors and a 4-0 deficit. That blast sparked a 7-6 comeback GVC win to claim the program's first state championship.
"It felt so good," Bird said. "This means so much to me. It's just unbelievable right now."
Grand View Christian earned the crown in its first-ever trip to the state tournament. The top-seeded Thunder also became the first state champion of any class under the tournament's new double-elimination format.
The Thunder took full advantage of the new format, rebounding from a 4-3 upset loss to No. 8 seed Cardinal in the opening round and winning five straight games to hoist the Class 2A trophy. They defeated Hinton (7-4), won a rematch with Cardinal (11-3), and swept two games from Regina Catholic (11-8 and 4-2) before taking down Wapsie Valley in the title game.
You must be registered for see images attach
"This group is amazing," said Grand View Christian coach Krista DeMeulenaere. "We've been down in every single game we've played here. We've played six games and we've been down in every one at some point or another. These girls are just like — we can do it with our bats; we can do it with our fielding. All we have to do is just step up."
They certainly stepped up against Wapsie Valley.
The Thunder fell behind 4-0 through 2 1/2 innings. Early-game jitters played a huge role in the deficit as they committed four errors, including three in a three-run third inning by the Warriors.
More: Coaches weigh in on new Iowa softball state tournament format
But going into the bottom of the third, GVC catcher Maiah Murphy came out and told her teammates that great teams do not stay down.
Bird and crew took Murphy's message to heart in the bottom of the third.
GVC loaded the bases with one out after Morgan Pelham and Livy VanDerSluis reached on infield hits and Murphy reached safely on a fielder's choice. Bird then came up to the plate and instantly became a GVC legend.
She got a hold of a pitch from Wapsie Valley's Taylor Buhr and belted a 235-foot rocket over the fence in left field to tie the game.
"I didn't think," Bird said. "I just sort of went for it, and I was like 'that's gone', and I started celebrating with my team."
It was Bird's third home run of the state tournament.
More: Iowa high school state softball tournament 2026: Scores, brackets
"It was all my teammates," Bird said. "They put so much confidence into me. We all believe the mission of 'We over me.'"
GVC scored the go-ahead run later in the inning when Harper Rosado tripled down the right field line with two outs and later scored on a wild pitch.
The Thunder added an insurance run in the fourth inning and another in the sixth to increase their advantage.
Pelham scored on a grounder from VanDerSluis in the fourth. In the bottom of the sixth, Jada Rogers singled, stole second and scored after Murphy singled and Wapsie Valley committed a throwing error.
Those two runs proved to be crucial.
In the top of the seventh inning, Wapsie Valley's Maddie Ladeburg crushed a 238-foot two-run shot over the fence in center field. It was just a one-run game with no outs on the board.
But GVC did not get rattled.
The Thunder made multiple trips to the circle to motivate sophomore pitcher Chloe Cox, and the Thunder ace delivered. She forced a fly out and a ground out, then worked around a two-out single from Maya Barnes to force a ground out to VanDerSluis at short for the final out.
"A lot of us cried," Cox said. "It felt so good to win it."
Cox gave up four earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks in seven innings as the winning pitcher. Bird was 1-for-4 with four RBIs and a couple of nice plays at third base to wrap up 2A all-tournament team captain honors.
With several players making big contributions all week, GVC fittingly had eight players collect a hit against Wapsie Valley. Rogers was 2-for-3 and Bird, Cox, Murphy, VanDerSluis, Rosado and Grace Kruse each had one.
"We knew this was the year," Cox said. "We trusted everybody to do their part in this. Everybody did great."
You must be registered for see images attach
The Thunder finished their historic championship season with a 32-4 record.
Wapsie Valley ended its second-consecutive trip to state after a 47-year absence with a 21-8 record. The Warriors defeated Ridgeview and picked up two wins over Logan-Magnolia to reach the title game.
Buhr took the loss after giving up five earned runs on five hits and two walks with one strikeout in three innings. She also went 3-for-4 with two runs at the plate.
Lola Destival went 2-for-4 with a run; Sawyer Buhr was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Barnes and Ladeburg each picked up one hit for the Warriors.
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Grand View Christian claims program's first Iowa softball state title
Continue reading...
