Game One
Game Two
Grinnell College continued its recent offensive tear against the Prairie Fire Saturday at Blodgett Field, taking both games of a doubleheader.
The Pioneers found themselves 3-11 going into the final game of their spring trip in Lake Myrtle, Florida. Grinnell (6-11, 2-0 MWC South) banged out 16 hits in a 14-13 win against Trinity College. The trend of double-digit runs continued against the Prairie Fire (4-9, 0-2 MWC South), who dropped the first game of the twinbill 17-3 in seven innings and the finale 21-3, also a seven inning contest.
The Pioneers scored three first inning runs on four hits, including a home run by Matt Skelly (1), in the opening game against Prairie Fire starter Peter Marquardt (Clarendon Hills, Illinois). The Fire followed with two runs in the bottom of the first on a pair of RBI doubles by junior Dexter Brown (Saint Joseph, Minnesota) and junior David Jewell (Spring Grove, Illinois) off Grinnell starter Mike Bogard.
Bogard settled down and got into a groove the rest of the way. He allowed one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning when sophomore Michael Schroeder (Glenview, Illinois) smacked a line-drive home run to right center field with one out, his first homer of the season.
Grinnell chased Marquardt (2-1) with one out in the second inning after scoring 10 runs, eight earned, and nine hits off of the first-year southpaw as part of a seven run second inning. Marquardt struck out three and walked one before giving way to first-year hurler Paul Mills (Moline, Illinois). Mills worked 2/3 of an inning, surrendering two hits with one strikeout and one walk.
Grinnell added three more runs in the third inning and plated four in the top half of the seventh off sophomore Ryan Stoens (Bartonville, Illinois). Stoens came on in relief of Mills. He was strong in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, when he blanked the Pioneers.
Grinnell outhit the Fire, who committed six errors in the game, 18-7. Schroeder led the hosts with two hits. Greg Suryn had a big day for the Pioneers with four hits - including a home run (1) - and six RBIs. Junior catcher Mike Nodzenski also homered for GC, one of his two hits. Bogard (2-1) earned the win on the mound. He allowed three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and four walks.
The offensive tear continued for Grinnell in the second game. Knox senior starter Colin Davis (Canton, Illinois) struck out Drew Davis to begin the contest. The Pioneers followed with four hits and four runs to put the Prairie Fire in an early hole again.
The Fire had trouble with first-year Grinnell starting pitcher Will Pahos (2-0), who scattered five hits and struck out seven through six shutout innings to earn the win.
The Pioneers put the game out of reach early by scoring two more runs in the second inning and eight in the third to take a commanding 14-0 lead. Davis (2-1) was charged with 14 runs, 10 earned, and 14 hits. Senior Jordan Ball (Cuba, Illinois) threw the final four innings for Knox. He gave up seven runs and five hits while walking seven and striking out two.
Matt Blumenreich was the hitting star for Grinnell in the second game. He was 4-for-6 with six RBIs. Nodzenski added his second home run of the day and third of the season, a three-run blast off Ball in the top of the fourth inning.
The Pioneers outhit Knox 19 to 8.
The Prairie Fire prevented the shutout by scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning off of Grinnell relief pitcher Andrew Platt. Knox scored three runs on three hits off of Platt, who walked two and struck out two in his one inning of work.
Sophomore infielder Doug Lillibridge had a two-run, two-out single and fellow first-year infielder Bryan Leslie (Richmond, Illinois) had the Prairie Fire's other RBI with a single in the bottom of the seventh off of Platt.
Knox tries to regroup and snap a four-game slide Sunday against Washington University - St. Louis. The first game of the doubleheader at Blodgett Field begins at 1:00.
