After being named to the All-Midwest Conference South Division first team earlier Tuesday, Ward was named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All-Great Lakes Region second team.

Ward was named to the team at an outfield spot and was one of seven Midwest Conference players to be recognized. Christy Condon of Lake Forest College was named to the Great Lakes first team, while third-teamers included Katie Dura of Knox College, Jill Pfund of Lake Forest, Krista Shafer of Ripon College and Tracy Palmer and Brieanna Oehlke of St. Norbert College.

For all of the Region teams, go to: http://www.nfca.org/news/?id=2937

Another Pioneer, Emily Stewart '08 (right), was named to the South Division second team at a pitcher spot. Like Ward, Stewart also earned All-MWC honors for the third time in her career.

Ward, of Eagan, Minn. (Eagan HS), led the league in both batting average at .488 and on base percentage at .538. She was second in hits and triples with 40 and three, respectively, and was fifth in total bases with 56. Her batting average, hit total and RBI total (27) all ranked second in school history.

Stewart, of Brentwood, Tenn. (University School of Nashville), was a top-flight pitcher for the Pioneers all season. She led the team with a 3.68 ERA while striking out 31 batters in 45.2 innings. She had a 3-5 record, a complete game and one save.

Katie Dura of Knox College was named the South Division Positional Player of the Year, while Sarah Christensen of Monmouth College was tabbed Pitcher of the Year. Ripon College swept the North Division individual honors, as Natalie Geenen was named Positional Player of the Year and Andrea Knorr the Pitcher of the Year.
2008 All-Conference Release

In the opening game of the twin bill which would decide which team qualified for the Midwest Conference Tournament, Grinnell scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a 1-all tie only to see the hosts tally four in the bottom of the frame for a 5-4 win. Monmouth went on to win the second game 6-2.

Monmouth is now 5-3 in the MWC South Division and 13-13 overall, while the Pioneers finish at 3-5 in the division and 8-20 in all games.

In the first game, Monmouth scored a run in the bottom of the first before Grinnell tied it in the fifth as Tess Cohen ‘09 singled, moved to second on a single by Erin Labasan ‘11, took third on a sacrifice by Kinnear Theobald ‘08 and scored on Brianna Gallo’s ‘11 RBI.

Labasan led off the top of the seventh with a single and Theobald walked before each runner moved up on a wild pitch. Madison Salander ‘08 followed with a sacrifice to knock in a run, and Theobald scored on an error. Darcy Ward ‘09 added an RBI single to make it 4-1. However, Monmouth tallied four runs in the bottom of the inning with the aid of three hits and two errors to win.

In the second game, Monmouth scored two runs in the top of the first but Grinnell got one back in the bottom as Salander singled, stole second and scored on a single by Sandra King ‘08. The Fighting Scots added four runs in the fourth for a 6-1 lead. The Pioneers got their last run in the sixth on Theobald’s solo homer, her first round-tripper of the year.
Game 1
Game 2

Despite the setbacks, Grinnell can still punch its ticket to the MWC postseason tourney by winning the opening game of Sunday's doubleheader at Monmouth College. Play begins at 1 p.m.

In Saturday's first game, Grinnell held a 1-0 lead until the hosts tallied two runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull out a 2-1 win. In the nightcap, Lake Forest broke open a 1-all tie with three runs in the top of the seventh for a 4-1 win. Lake Forest clinched the division title with a 7-1 mark while improving to 17-11 overall. Grinnell is 3-3 in the MWC South Division and 8-18 in all games.

In the first game, Grinnell got its run in the first inning. Brianna Gallo '11 bunted for a single, moved to second on a single by Madison Salander '08, took third on Kelsey Montgomery's 11 sacrifice bunt and scored on Darcy Ward's '09 sacrifice fly.

Emily Stewart '08 pitched three-hit shutout ball over 4 1/3 innings before being relieved by Tess Cohen '09 for the Pioneers. Cohen shut the Foresters down, too, until the seventh inning. Tracy Rainer had an RBI double to tie the game and Mallory Norton hit a sacrifice fly to win the contest.

In the second game, Grinnell scored once in the second inning to take the lead. Stewart doubled to left field to lead things off and scored on a single to left by Erin Labasan '11. But Lake Forest tied it in the third and scored three runs in the seventh on Norton's three-run homer to left-center.

Cohen suffered the loss in relief of Megan Germer '08. Montgomery had two of Grinnell's seven hits.
Game 1
Game 2

Grinnell is slated to play a twin bill at Lake Forest College at 1 p.m. Saturday and follow that up with a 1 p.m. twin bill at Monmouth College Sunday. The Monmouth games were originally scheduled for Friday, but postponed until Sunday due to wet grounds.

The top two teams in each division qualify for the conference tourney, and currently Grinnell is second in the South with a 3-1 mark following Tuesday's home sweep of Knox College. In those games, wins of 12-11 and 12-7, Grinnell pounded out 36 hits. Emily Stewart '08 had six hits on the day for the Pioneers, who are 8-16 overall, while Megan Germer '08 had five hits.

Darcy Ward '09 continues to be Grinnell's leading hitter with a .521 average, two homers and 25 RBIs. Brianna Gallo '11 is at .388, Madison Salander '08 is hitting .354 and Sandra King '08 has a .350 average with two homers and 12 RBIs. Stewart has anchored the pitching corps with a 3-4 record and 4.13 ERA.

The games with Grinnell are the final ones of divisional play for both Monmouth and Lake Forest. Monmouth is third in the division with a 3-3 mark and 10-12 overall record, while Lake Forest is leading the way with a 5-1 mark in the division and 15-11 overall record.

Emily Willems is Monmouth's top hitter with a .451 average and 15 RBIs, while Kembra Bell is hitting .385 and Kristen Bickett .352. Sarah Christensen and Amanda Murdock have been the team's main pitchers. Christensen is 6-5 with a 3.53 ERA in 14 appearances, while Murdock is 4-5 with a 5.13 ERA in 12 games.

Lake Forest's offense has been sparked by Mallory Norton and Erin Ruberg, who are hitting .418 and .395, respectively. Norton has two homers and 16 RBIs. Christy Condon is at .375 with seven round-trippers and 33 RBIs. Pitching-wise, Kendra Grant is 6-5 with a 3.16 ERA and Jeanette Andresen is 5-2 with a 4.13 ERA.

The Pioneers pounded out 36 hits on the day as they posted wins of 12-11 in the first game and 12-7 in the second. The victories moved Grinnell into sole possession of second place in the Midwest Conference South Division and kept the Pioneers in the running to qualify for the league postseason tourney. Grinnell is now 3-1 in the MWC South and 8-16 overall, while Knox fell to 2-4 in the league and 3-19 in all games.

Emily Stewart '08 (left) continued her red-hot hitting with six hits on the day, including a 4-for-5 performance in the second game, while Sandra King '08 (center) blasted a towering homer in the opener. Megan Germer '08 (right) had five hits on the day.

The first game was a slugfest that saw 32 hits, including 19 by the host Pioneers. Madeline Raimondo '08 had three hits, while seven players - Madison Salander '08, Kelsey Montgomery '11, Darcy Ward '09, King, Stewart, Germer and Kinnear Theobald '08 - had two hits each. Besides King's homer, Ward had a triple and Stewart, Germer and Theobald all doubled.

Despite the final score, it was Knox which dominated the early portion of the game by grabbing a 5-0 lead through an inning-and-a-half. But the Pioneers bounced back in spectacular fashion by erupting for seven runs in the bottom of the second. With one out, Tess Cohen '09 singled to left and went to second on a sacrifice. Theobald followed with an RBI single to right. Montgomery added an RBI single to center a bit later and Ward knocked in two runs with a single to center. Not much later, King belted a homer over the center-field fence - her second round-tripper of the season - to make it a 7-5 Grinnell lead.

Knox came back to tie the game in the top of the third with two runs, but Grinnell answered with two in the bottom of the frame. Germer reached base on an error and scored on Theobald's double to left. Theobald went to third on Raimondo's single and scored on an error. The Pioneers continued to pull away with three runs in the fifth inning. Raimondo hit an infield single and eventually scored when Ward ripped a triple to center. King followed with an RBI single to left and scored when Stewart doubled to right.

Cohen was the winning pitcher, improving to 4-8 on the season, while Stewart worked the final two-thirds of an inning for her first save of the year. Katie Dura had three hits, including a homer, for Knox while Ashley Konicki also had three hits.

In the second game, Grinnell scored once in the top of the first on a single to center by Ward which plated Hannah Ney '11. Knox came back with two runs in the bottom of the frame before Grinnell broke it open with four runs in the second and another in the third for a 6-2 lead. In the second, Stewart doubled, Germer singled and Raimondo hit an infield single to bring in a run. Two more runs scored on errors and Ward plated another with a double to left. In the third, Stewart and Germer singled before Ney came up with an RBI single.

Knox scored once in the bottom of the frame and the teams traded two runs each in the fourth for an 8-5 Grinnell lead. In the fourth, Montgomery and King each singled and Stewart doubled to right to knock in both runs. Knox came back, though, and made it 8-7 in the fifth.

That's when the Pioneers all but put it away with a four-run outburst in the sixth. Ward walked, King was hit by a pitch and Stewart reached on an error to load the bases before Germer delivered a base-clearing triple to center. Germer later came across on an error to account for the final score.

Stewart got the pitching win to improve to 3-4 while Germer worked the final there innings for her first save. Three Knox players had two hits each.

Grinnell finishes its regular season with big MWC South Division games this weekend, playing twice at Monmouth College on Friday and two more games at Lake Forest College Saturday. Monmouth is 3-3 in the division and Lake Forest is first at 5-1.
Game 1
Game 2

Today's games are key in the Midwest Conference South Division standings and qualifying for the postseason tournament, as both teams involved as well as Monmouth College are all tied for second place in the division with .500 records.

Grinnell is 6-16 following Sunday's setbacks to Luther College of the Iowa Conference. Grinnell brings a 1-1 MWC South Division mark into today's action after splitting games with Illinois College on Saturday.

For the season, Darcy Ward '09 had been Grinnell's top hitter with a .532 average and 20 RBIs. Brianna Gallo '11 is batting .383, Sandra King '08 is at .346 and Madison Salander '08 is hitting .329. Also above the .300 mark is Erin Labasan '11, who is batting .324. The team's top pitchers have been Emily Stewart '08 (2-4 record, 4.75 ERA) and Veronica Reavis '11 (1-0 record, 6.11 ERA).

Knox is 3-17 overall and 2-2 in the MWC South Division, having split league games with both Lake Forest College and Monmouth College.

Entering last weekend, Katie Dura was Knox's top hitter with a .417 average. Katie Schneider is batting .333 and Cheyenne Cortez is at .298.The Prairie Fire have used two pitchers primarily. Cory Bieber is 0-2 with a 6.19 ERA in 13 appearances, while Bridget McCune is 2-10 with a 6.92 ERA in 16 games.

The Pioneers travel to Monmouth College on Friday and Lake Forest College the following day. The Midwest Conference Tournament is the following weekend.

Luther improved to 26-7 with the victories while Grinnell fell to 6-16.

In the opener, Luther shot out to an 8-0 lead with five runs in the first inning and three more in the second. Grinnell was hitless before Emily Stewart '08 snapped the drought with a single to right in the third inning.

The Pioneers threatened in the fourth when Tess Cohen '09 singled to right before pinch runner Hannah LaFollette '11 was sacrificed to second by Madison Salander '08. Kelsey Montgomery '11 walked before before LaFollette was forced out at third. Sandra King '08 loaded the bases with a single to right, but a groundout ended the threat.

Neither team scored in the fifth and the game ended via the eight-run rule. Cohen did a solid job of relief pitching for Grinnell, issuing just one hit and striking out one over two innings. Ashley Hoffman had three hits for the winners and Shallyn Duffy was the winning pitcher, yielding one hit over three innings.

In the second game, Kim Lambert fired a one-hitter over five innings and struck out 11 batters. The lone Pioneer to get a hit was Madeline Raimondo '08, who singled to left to lead off the third inning. Luther scored in every inning, tallying two runs in the first, one in the second, three in the third, four in the fourth and another in the fifth.

Grinnell plays its final regular-season home doubleheader Tuesday when Knox College visits for Midwest Conference South Division games. The first pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
Game 1
Game 2

The Pioneers, who pounded out 13 hits in the win, were sparked by a huge five-run fifth inning. For the game, Brianna Gallo '11 and Emily Stewart '08 (left) each had three hits while Kelsey Montgomery '11 had two. Veronica Reavis '11 (right) pitched hitless ball over 2 1/3 innings of relief to earn her first win of the year, while Tess Cohen '09 finished up the game for her first save.

Grinnell opened the scoring with a run in the first as Gallo singled, was sacrificed to second by Madison Salander '08 and crossed the plate on Montgomery's single to center.

The Pioneers, who improved to 1-1 in the MWC South Division and 6-14 overall, erupted for five runs in the second inning. The Pioneers loaded the bases when Stewart singled, Erin Labasan '11 reached on an error and Hannah Ney '11 also got on base. Gallo followed with an RBI single, and two more runs scored on a single to center by Montgomery. Two more runs scored on an error to make it 6-0.

The Lady Blues, who are 1-5 in the MWC South and 10-12 overall, kept things interesting by scoring five times in the bottom of the inning before Grinnell tallied solo runs in the fourth and seventh frames. In the fourth, Darcy Ward '09 singled with one out, moved to third on a single by Stewart and scored on a single to right by Labasan. In the seventh, Stewart led off with a single to center, went to second on an error, was sacrificed to third by Kinnear Theobald '08 and scored on a groundout by Cohen.

Illinois College scored once in the bottom of the inning, but could do no more as Grinnell hung on to the victory.

In the opener, Illinois College erupted for three runs in the second inning to break open a scoreless game. The Lady Blues added a solo run in the third frame and two more in the fourth and fifth to end the contest via the eight-run rule.

Grinnell threatened to score in the bottom of the third while trailing just 4-0. With one out, Megan Germer '08 walked and Labasan singled to left. Both runners advanced on a passed ball and Brianna Gallo '11 followed with an infield single to load the bases. However, Salander followed with a hard-shot lineout to the pitcher that was converted into a double play to end the threat.

Ward had the Pioneers' other hit as Illinois College's Sarah Holloway fired a three-hitter and struck out five in earning the win.

Grinnell steps out of league play Sunday for a 1 p.m. home doubleheader against Luther College of the Iowa Conference.
Game 1
Game 2

Grinnell is 5-13 after going 1-2 in the Midwest Conference Classic on Monday, with the win coming against Lawrence University and losses to Carroll College and Ripon College. The Pioneers had a doubleheader at Buena Vista University rained out Thursday.

Darcy Ward '09 is tearing it up offensively for the Pioneers, as she's hitting .596 with 20 RBIs and two homers. She has seven extra-base hits in all. Sandra King '08 is hitting .381 and Madison Salander '08 is at .375. Emily Stewart '08 is the team's top pitcher with a 3.06 ERA and 2-4 record.

Illinois College has already played four games against South Division foes and is 0-4 with two losses apiece to Monmouth College and Lake Forest College. The Lady Blues are 9-11 overall.

Keena Canevit is the team's top hitter with a .393 average and 12 RBIs, while Sydni Szfranski is hitting .338 and Casey Pope is at .326. Kacey Morrison has belted five homers and has 23 RBIs while hitting .322. Pitching-wise, Sarah Holloway has a 3.65 ERA in nine appearances and Kristen Schmalz is 4-5 in 11 appearances with a 3.93 ERA.

Grinnell steps out of league play Sunday for a 1 p.m. home doubleheader against Luther College of the Iowa Conference.

The contests had been slated to be played Thursday, April 17, in Storm Lake but were postponed until next Wednesday due to rain.

The Pioneers sailed to an 11-3 victory over Lawrence in a game that was halted in the fifth inning due to the eight-run rule. Brianna Gallo '11 (left) and Darcy Ward '09 (center) led the team's hitting attack with 3-for-3 performances at the plate, while Madison Salander '08, Sandra King '08 and Kinnear Theobald '08 all had two hits. King and Theobald each had doubles among their hits.

Winning pitcher Tess Cohen '09 (right) scattered four hits and issued just two earned runs while improving her mark to 3-6 on the season.

Grinnell got out of the gate fast, scoring three runs in both the first and second innings for a 6-0 lead. After the Pioneers gave up three runs in the top of the third, they bounced back with four runs in the bottom of the frame for an 11-3 lead. Grinnell closed out the win with one run in the fifth.

Besides those already mentioned, others getting hits in Grinnell's 14-hit onslaught were Kelsey Montgomery '11 and Emily Stewart '08.

Earlier in the day, Carroll rallied to edge the Pioneers 7-6. Grinnell had a run in both the first and second innings and two in the third and fourth to grab a 6-4 lead. However, the winners answered with a solo run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth. Ward had three hits for Grinnell, while Salander, Montgomery and King had two apiece. Montgomery and Stewart both had doubles among their totals. Others getting hits were Gallo, Megan Germer '08 and Stewart. Germer suffered the tough-luck pitching loss, as she gave up just one earned run in the final two innings of the game.

In Grinnell's final game of the day, Ripon defeated the Pioneers by a 7-2 score. Ripon led 1-0 after one inning, but the Pioneers answered with a run in the second when Ward walked and eventually scored on a groundout by Madeline Raimondo '08. But Ripon exploded for five runs in the bottom of the inning and another in the third for a 7-1 lead. The Pioneers scored once in the sixth when Ward tripled to center and scored on a groundout by King.

Grinnell, 5-13 on the season, have a non-conference twin bill at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake on Thursday. The Pioneers return to their home field Saturday when they open Midwest Conference South Division play against Illinois College. The first of two games begins at 1 p.m.
Grinnell vs. Carroll
Grinnell vs. Lawrence
Grinnell vs. Ripon

The first game was scoreless until the third inning when Cornell tallied three runs. The Rams added solo tallies in the sixth and seventh innings. Sandra King '08 had two of Grinnell's five hits, while Madeline Raimondo '08, Darcy Ward '09 and Hannah Ney '11 had one each. Grinnell threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning when Ward and King singled with two out, but both were stranded.

Emily Stewart '08 worked the first 5 1/3 innings on the mound for Grinnell and issued just two earned runs. Veronica Reavis '11 finished up. Ashton Horn tossed a complete-game shutout for the winners and struck out seven.

In the second game, Cornell scored once in the first before Grinnell tied it in the third. Brianna Gallo '11 led off with a single, went to second on Megan Germer's '08 sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on a single to left by Tess Cohen '09 and scored when Ward hit into a fielder's choice.

But then Cornell got hot, scoring two runs in the fourth inning and five more in the fifth to go up 8-1. Grinnell got a run in the bottom of the sixth when Ward reached second base on an error and scored on a single by Stewart.

Also getting hits in the game for Grinnell were Ward, Erin Labasan '11 and Ney. Horn was again the winning pitcher, while Cohen - the second of four Grinnell pitchers (King pitched twice in the game, starting and then re-entering to relieve Cohen) - was tagged with the loss.

Cornell improved to 8-2 with the victories, while Grinnell fell to 4-11. Grinnell has another Iowa Conference foe on the slate Thursday when the Pioneers are scheduled to entertain Simpson College in a 3 p.m. doubleheader.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

The 14-9 Dutch scored four runs in the first inning, another in the second and three more in the fifth. Grinnell's hits came from Darcy Ward '09, Kelsey Montgomery '11 and Emily Stewart '08. Stewart was the pitcher of record for Grinnell, working the first two innings. She was relieved by Tess Cohen '09.

Grinnell's best shot of scoring came in the second inning when Ward singled to right to lead off the frame and Montgomery singled down the left-field line. Erin Labasan '11 also had a walk in the inning, but the Pioneers could not push a run across.

Amy Zellmer, who pitched two-hit ball over three innings, got the win and Bethany Koskamp had three hits for the hosts.

Grinnell, 4-9 on the season, is slated to host Cornell College in a doubleheader today at 4 p.m. The Pioneers will then entertain Simpson College at 3 p.m. on Thursday.
Box Score

The Pioneers lost to Coe 1-0 in round-robin play Saturday morning and then fell 4-1 in the consolation contest in the afternoon.

Coe had a 2-1 mark in pool play, the same as Washington University and Nebraska Wesleyan. Washington earned the top seed for the playoffs via a tie-breaker, Nebraska Wesleyan the second seed and Coe the third. Grinnell, the fourth seed, was 0-3 in pool play.

In Grinnell's first game Saturday, the Pioneers' Emily Stewart '08 and Tess Cohen '09 combined for a strong pitching effort. Stewart, who suffered the loss, scattered a mere four hits over five innings while issuing just one unearned run. She struck out four. Cohen pitched hitless ball over the final two innings and struck out one.

Coe's lone run came in the fifth inning. Abby Wedemeier led off by reaching on an error and eventually scored on Ashley Leonard's single. Grinnell threatened in the bottom of the inning when Kelsey Montgomery '11 and Hannah Ney '11 both singled with one out. They reached second and third but were stranded.

The Pioneers threatened again in the bottom of the seventh. Cohen and Darcy Ward '09 led off with consecutive singles but couldn't move up as Sonja Schwenker sat down the final three batters to let the Kohawks hang on for the win.

In the afternoon game, Ward had two hits to spark the Pioneers' offense. Grinnell scored its lone run in the top of the first. With one out, Madison Salander '08 singled to left, moved to third on a single to right by Ward and came across the plate on a throwing error. Ney also had a hit in the game for the Pioneers, who are 4-8 on the season.

Coe scored twice in the bottom of the inning and added solo runs in the fourth and sixth frames to account for the final score. April Kalmes had two hits to lead Coe.

Cohen, Grinnell's starting pitcher, worked the first three innings and Stewart the last three. Stewart gave up just three hits and struck out four in her tenure.

Ward and Stewart (pictured, left to right) were named to the all-tournament team along with Ashley Leonard and Schwenker of Coe, Ashton Hitchcock and Claire Voris of Washington and Ashley Tiedgen, Klancy Nixon and Alysia Wittmaack of Nebraska Wesleyan. Nixon was named the tourney's Most Valuable Player.

The Pioneers play at Central College on Monday, starting at 4 p.m. Grinnell is slated to play two home doubleheaders this coming week, taking on Cornell College starting at 4 p.m. Tuesday and playing Simpson College on Thursday.
Coe 1, Grinnell 0
Coe 4, Grinnell 1
Hy-Vee Invitational Results

The event looked to be in jeopardy after snow covered the field following a Thursday storm, but crews were able to clear the field and play began just a few hours after the intended starting time.

In the opening contest, Nebraska Wesleyan broke open a close game with a seven-run outburst in the fifth inning on its way to an 11-3 win over the Pioneers.

Kelsey Montgomery '11 had two hits for Grinnell, while Sandra King '08 belted a solo homer over the left-field fence in the bottom of the first inning to bring the Pioneers within 3-1. Grinnell closed within 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth with a solo run. Montgomery led off with a single to left and advanced the next two bases on wild pitches. Madeline Raimondo '08 followed with a single and went to second on an error on the play. Tess Cohen '09 then came up with an RBI single to score Montgomery.

That's when the Prairie Wolves erupted for seven runs in the top of the fifth for a 10-2 lead. Grinnell answered with a run in the bottom of the inning when Darcy Ward '09 doubled to left and scored on Montgomery's single to right. Nebraska Wesleyan came back with a run in the top of the sixth and then held the Pioneers scoreless in the bottom of the frame to end the game via the eight-run rule.

Klancy Nixon homered to spark Nebraska Wesleyan's offense and Ashley Tiedgen earned the pitching win, striking out nine in the process. Cohen, the first of two Grinnell pitchers, suffered the loss. She struck out four in four innings. Veronica Reavis '11 worked the final two innings.

In Grinnell's second game against 15th-ranked Washington University of St. Louis, the visiting Bears grabbed a 5-0 lead through three innings before going on to win 11-2 in five innings. Ashton Hitchcock nearly hit for the cycle for the winners, coming up with a homer, triple and two singles.

Grinnell scored both its runs in the bottom of the fourth. With two out, Ward doubled and scored on a double by Erin Labasan '11. Megan Germer '08 doubled to left to score Labasan. Madison Salander '08 had Grinnell's other hit in the game.

Kaylyn Eash was the winning pitcher, scattering four hits over four innings. King, who worked the first 4 1/3 innings for Grinnell, was tagged with the loss.

In other games Friday, Coe edged Washington 3-2 in eight innings and Nebraska Wesleyan led Coe 2-0 through five innings before action was halted due to darkness. It will be resumed at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Grinnell will take on Coe following the halted game, followed by Nebraska Wesleyan and Washington at 11 a.m. The consolation game is slated for 1 p.m. with the title contest to follow at 3.
Grinnell vs. Nebraska Wesleyan
Grinnell vs. Washington University

The tourney, which was slated to begin at 10 a.m. Friday, will now begin at noon with the host Pioneers facing Nebraska Wesleyan. That will be followed by Washington University and Coe at 2 p.m., Grinnell and Washington at 4 and Coe vs. Nebraska Wesleyan at 6.

The 4-4 Pioneers begin the event with a 10 a.m. showdown Friday morning against Nebraska Wesleyan, which has an 8-8 mark. Other teams in the tourney are Coe, which is 17-7 and was ranked nationally earlier this season, and Washington University of St. Louis, which is 18-5 and rated 15th by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in NCAA Division III.

There will be four games Friday and four more Saturday, when action begins at 9 a.m. The consolation game is set for 1 p.m. and the title contest at 3.
Tourney Information

Ward, of Eagan, Minn. (Eagan HS) hit .640 in eight games (16-of-25) with two home runs, 15 RBIs and seven runs scored. Her efforts helped Grinnell win four games in the team's eight outings.
Click here for MWC release

"Playing for the first time outdoors this year showed in the first game, but the team bounced back very well in the second game," said Grinnell Coach Tom Sonnichsen. "They didn't let that first loss hold them down … they came back and played some great defense in that second game. Everybody got some playing time which was good to see."

The Pioneers play twice again Monday, meeting Mount St. Mary and Marywood University.

Lake Forest received three of five first-place votes en route to being picked to win the South. Illinois College, which earned the other two first-place votes, was picked to finish second, followed by Monmouth. Knox was selected to finish fifth behind Grinnell. St. Norbert was selected to win the North Division after picking up four of five first-place votes. Ripon, which got the other top vote, was picked to finish second, followed by Lawrence, Beloit and Carroll.
See complete release

Emily Stewart '08 and Darcy Ward '09 were both first-team All-Midwest Conference South Division selections in 2007, while Tess Cohen '09 was a second-team pick. Their efforts helped the Pioneers go 8-16 overall and 5-8 in league play.

A closer look at the team:
Pitching The Pioneers feature four pitchers, with Cohen (2-8 record, 29 SO) and Stewart (1-2 record, 4.63 ERA, 10 SO) sharing starting responsibilities and Megan Germer '08 (0-0 record) and Veronica Reavis '11 serving primarily as relievers though they may also draw a start or two. "Three of these pitchers have college experience, so overall we have pretty good depth," said Grinnell coach Tom Sonnichsen. "They're all good athletes who can field their position. And every one of them will play another position throughout the season."

Infield Julia Reese '10 (.242 BA, 3 RBI) returns as the team's seasoned catcher, having caught nearly all of the team's innings last season, while Stewart (.413 BA, 15 RBI) and Hannah Ney '11 will serve as backups. Kinnear Theobald '08 returns after a year off to play first base, where she'll be joined by Kelsey Montgomery '11, Sandra King '08 (.444 BA, 2 RBI) and Cohen (.397, 12 RBI). Madeline Raimondo '08 (.211 BA) started nearly all of the team's games at second base last season and will be joined there by Brianna Gallo '11 and Hannah LaFollette '11. Stewart plays shortstop along with Ney and Erin Labasan '11, while Ney, Reavis and Gallo will all see time at third. "We're at least two deep at every infield position," said Sonnichsen. "We've got good experience at nearly all the positions, and the players we have are athletic and have good arms. Many of these players have been in a lot of tough games and will benefit from those experiences."

Outfield Ward (.449 BA, 3 HR, 29 RBI) returns as a starter in center field, Madison Salander '08 (.253 BA, 3 RBI) will be a four-year starter in left and Germer will start in right (.180 BA, 3 RBI) with Labasan seeing time in all positions. "We've got a very solid group of outfielders," said Sonnichsen. "There is some good experience out there."

Overall Outlook "Traditionally we've played good defense, and I expect that to be a strength again," said Sonnichsen. "We've got a bit more speed than in the past, which will contribute to both our offense and defense. My hope is we can pick up the base runners a bit better … last year we left way too many runners on base."

Sonnichsen, like all league coaches, is hoping to qualify for the four-team MWC Tournament at the end of the season. "I'm suspecting around the conference, teams such as St. Norbert, Lake Forest and Illinois College will be strong again," he said. "Our players are working hard and focusing on what needs to be done to advance to the postseason tournament. This group supports each other very well. I've been very happy with what I've seen from them."

The Pioneers open their 2008 campaign with their annual trip south March 16-21, where they'll play eight games in Cocoa Beach, Fla.

Stewart, who earned recognition for the second time, finished the season with a .413 batting average, including 10 doubles, to go along with 15 RBI and 15 runs scored. The Brentwood, Tenn., native also appeared in seven games on the mound, finishing with a 1-2 overall record and a 4.63 ERA. Defensively, she controlled the middle of the infield and finished with just eight miscues in 88 attempts. The junior was also a First Team member following her first-year.

A native of Eagan, Minn., Ward led the Pioneers this season, and was second in the league, with a solid .449 average, including 10 doubles, a triple, and three home runs. She also led the team with 29 RBI, while her .494 on-base percentage ranked third in the conference. This marks the second straight season in which Ward has landed First Team honors.

Cohen received recognition for the first time in her career. She ended her second season with a .397 average at the plate, while recording two doubles, a triple, and one home run, to go along with 12 RBI. Defensively, she committed just five errors in 121 attempts, primarily at first base.

The Pioneers closed out their 2007 campaign at 8-16 overall (5-8 MWC).

Complete All-Conference Teams

The Rams scored a pair of runs in the first inning of game one and added another in the third before blowing the game open with 10 runs in their half of the fourth to put the game away. The Pioneers were on the verge of being no-hit before Emily Stewart '08 doubled down the left field line with one out in the fifth, but was stranded on third to end the game.

Lee Anne Steinberg '07 took the loss for Grinnell, going 3.1 innings and allowing six runs on eight hits, while striking out three. Tess Cohen '09 and Megan Germer '08 combined to go the final 0.2 of an inning, while allowing seven runs (three earned).

The Pioneers scored five of their eight runs via the long ball in game two en route to their season-ending victory. Darcy Ward '09 blasted a two-run shot in the first to give the team a 2-0 cushion. Grinnell went on to add three more runs in the inning to lead 5-0 after just a half inning.

Emily Kolbe '07, playing in her final career game, added a solo home run in the third before Cohen, who finished 2-for-4 in the game, chipped in with a two-run blast in the fourth to clinch the victory.

Ward added a pair of hits and scored two runs, with Stewart also finishing with a pair of hits. Kolbe capped off her career with three hits as the Pioneers pounded out 13 in the contest.

Stewart picked up the win on the mound, going the final 3.2 innings and allowing just one run on six hits. Gerner got the start and went the first 3.1 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits.

The Pioneers end the season at 8-16 overall (5-8 MWC). The doubleheader marked the final contest in the careers of Kolbe, Steinberg, and Jayme Siegel '07.

Game 1
Game 2