‘Addie’s Army’ edges Jefferson, 1-0, in an MVC softball dandy

MARION — Addie Gralund has undergone four cardiac surgeries, and a fifth is on the not-so-distant horizon.

Evidence of that was present on Gralund’s biggest moment Thursday night.

“I was standing on second base (after hitting a second-inning double), and I couldn’t catch my breath,” said Gralund, a sophomore at Linn-Mar High School. “But, still, I was so happy.”

Gralund’s drive indirectly led to the game’s only run, and Class 5A fifth-ranked Linn-Mar edged Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 1-0, in a Mississippi Valley Conference softball dandy at Oak Ridge Middle School.

“That was fun,” Lions Coach Lindsey Murray said. “Every time you play Jefferson, it’s going to be like this, a scratch-and-claw kind of game.”

Both pitchers were dynamite. Linn-Mar’s Emily Koranda (8-3) fired a two-hitter, striking out eight. Jefferson’s Olivia Young (7-7) surrendered four early hits, but retired the final 13 batters she faced and fanned eight.

Neither pitcher yielded a base on balls.

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The Lions (14-5 overall, 12-1 MVC) were synonymous with “Addie’s Army” Thursday, wearing white T-shirts in Gralund’s honor.

Gralund was born with a congenital heart defect called truncus arteriosus.

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, the condition occurs when the blood vessel coming out of the heart in the developing baby fails to separate completely during development, leaving a connection between the aorta and pulmonary artery.

“I’ve had a lot of setbacks,” Gralund said. “It’s hard to live with, and I’ve been struggling with my breathing lately. When the air is heavy, it makes me nauseous.

“But I can’t leave this game. It brings me too much joy.”

Gralund opened the bottom of the second with a double to gap in right-center field.

She got caught in a rundown on Kaylece Morgan’s fielder’s choice back to the mound. But Morgan stole second base, moved to third on a ground-out by Riley Long and scored on Hayden Koutny’s single.

Gralund has played all 19 games for the Lions and is batting .377. She has committed one error at first base and owns a .987 fielding percentage.

“She is one of the most positive people I’ve ever coached,” Murray said. “She’s a bright light, a hard worker that has really blossomed this year. It’s amazing.”

After graduation from Linn-Mar in 2025, Gralund wants to attend medical school and eventually pursue a career in pediatric cardiology.

On the softball field and in life, she is well aware that nothing is guaranteed.

“Going into my fourth surgery (in 2018), I told my parents how much I love them,” she said. “I had to grow up quickly. I have lived one day at a time and don’t take anything for granted.

“I play every game like it could be my last.”

Jefferson (13-12, 6-7) had runners at second and third in both the third inning and the seventh before Koranda worked out of it.

Linn-Mar 1, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 0

At Oak Ridge Middle School

C.R. Jefferson 000 000 0 — 0 2 0

Linn-Mar 010 000 x — 1 4 1

Olivia Young and Mackenzie McWhorter. Emily Koranda and Madi Wells. W — Koranda (8-3). L — Young (7-7).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com