V-Hawks Split Opening Weekend 2-2

BRANSON, Missouri -- The V-Hawks traveled to Branson, Missouri to open the 2026 season this past weekend. While on the road, the V-Hawks faced off against four teams, Graceland, Oklahoma Wesleyan, York, and Park. Throughout the four games, the V-Hawks took home two wins over Graceland and York. The V-Hawks fell to Oklahoma Wesleyan and Park. 

AGAINST GRACELAND

In the V-Hawks first competition of the 2026 season, they came ready to play, defeating Graceland 10-1 in five innings. From the plate, the V-Hawks were led by Natalie Martin. Martin had three runs and two hits in three at bats. Courtney Denton picked up three RBIs and one run with three chances, and Hailey Hiles and Sydnie Newell each added two RBIs through their chances. Marissa Carter-Olson and Makella Jacobs each added an RBI as well. From the mound, Gwendolyn Schnider was unstoppable. Through four innings, she let zero hits through. 

AGAINST OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN

In the second game of the day, the V-Hawks fell to Oklahoma Wesleyan 4-0. The team struggled at bat, only picking up five hits. The hits came from Alyssa Roos, Sydnie Newell, Ava Anderson, Marissa Carter-Olson, and Makella Jacobs. From the mound, Mia Weithaus pitched all six innings. She gave up four hits, four runs, and had four errors. The V-Hawks gave up three of their runs in the third inning and one in the fourth, unable to recover down the stretch. 

AGAINST YORK

The V-Hawks were able to narrowly escape the York Panthers on Saturday morning, picking up a 6-2 win with two clutch runs in the seventh inning. From the plate, the V-Hawks were led by Marissa Carter-Olson. She picked up two RBIs with four at bats. Alyssa Roos got a couple of runs, and Elie Klar claimed two hits as well through four at bats. The V-Hawks were down 5-4 going into the bottom of the seventh. Elie Klar doubled to right center for an RBI, running in Aydenn Sutton to tie it at 5-5. The final score came when Autumn Meris drove one to left field, running in Elie Klar. From the mount, Sydnie Newell and Mia Weithaus each pitched just over three innings. Newell gave up five hits, while Mia gave up two. 

AGAINST PARK

The final game of the series ended in a loss for the V-Hawks after falling 10-5 against Park University. Marissa Carter-Olson carried from the plate for the V-Hawks yet again. She picked up two hits and two RBIs in their efforts. Other hits came from Ava Anderson and Sydnie Newell. The V-Hawks mainly pitched with Gwendolyn Schnider and Makenzie Woodhouse. Each pitcher gave up three runs and three hits. Woodhouse gave up zero errors during her performance. 

OVERALL

Marissa Carter-Olson led on the weekend with 14 at bats, resulting in seven hits and five RBIs. She put up a 0.500 batting average through four games. Courtney Denton and Hailey Hiles each added three RBIs on the weekend as well. The sole triple of the weekend came from a Makella Jacobs hit. From the pitch, Gwendolyn Schnider led, giving up just three hits and runs. Mia Weithaus pitched the most innings with 11. 

UP NEXT

The V-Hawks are returning to action this weekend on February 27 and 28. They will play four games in Sioux Center. On Friday, they will face Dordt and Mount Marty. On Saturday, they will face Northwestern and Dakota Wesleyan.