Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 GRINNELL, Iowa – A dominating pitching performance sent the Grinnell College baseball team to a 2-1 Midwest Conference victory over Cornell College Saturday at Pioneer Park.

Will Pahos '14 and Andrew Kelley '14 teamed up on an eight-hitter and eight strikeouts to spark the Pioneers' victory. In the second game, Grinnell saw a late rally fall short in a 5-3 loss to the Rams.

In the opener, Pahos worked eight innings and gave up eight hits and one run while striking out five. He earned the win, evening his record at 3-3.

Kelley collected his third save of the year, tossing hitless ball in the final inning while striking out the side.

Offensively, Matt Blumenreich '13 celebrated Senior Day with a 2-for-2 performance at the plate.

Cornell grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning, but the Pioneers evened the score in the fifth. Blumenreich led off with a single up the middle, was sacrificed to second on Matt Schaeffer's '14 bunt, took third when Drew Davis '13 grounded out and scored on Anthony Mack's '16 RBI single through the right side.

The Pioneers got the eventual game-winner in the seventh. Blumenreich again led off with a single, this through the left side, and was sacrificed to second by Blumenreich. After going to third on Davis' infield single, Blumenreich scored on Mack's squeeze bunt.

Mack led the Pioneers' offense in the second game with three hits, while Phillip Zarcone '15 added two hits.

Cornell got out to a 4-0 lead with three runs in the second inning and another in the third. The Pioneers closed the gap to 4-2 with solo runs in the third and fourth frames. In the third, Davis walked with one out, went to third on Mack's single through the left side and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Kainoa Inafuku '14.

In the fourth, Eli Freese '15 led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Yuki Kawahara '15. Zarcone then reached on a fielder's choice, went to third when Adam Renfro '16 singled to left-center and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Blumenreich.

Cornell got a run back in the seventh to go ahead 5-2.

The Pioneers left the bases loaded in the eighth without scoring. After holding Cornell scoreless in the top of the ninth, the Pioneers made things interesting in the bottom of the inning.

Mack and Inafuku led off with singles to right and Walker Bell '15 reached on a fielder's choice, putting runners on the corners. Kawahara then sent an RBI single to center, closing the gap to 5-3. Zarcone followed with a single to center to load the bases, but Cornell got a popout and flyout to end the game.

Grinnell is now 4-6 in the MWC and 9-15 overall, while Cornell improved to 3-3 in the league and 8-14 in all games.

The teams meet again Sunday, this time in Mount Vernon, for another doubleheader. The first pitch is set for noon.