Box Score RIPON, Wis. – The Grinnell College baseball team pounded out nine hits, but still lost a 12-7 decision to Knox College in a slugfest during an elimination game at the Midwest Conference Baseball Tournament Friday night.

Yuki Kawahara '15 was 3-for-5 at the plate for the Pioneers, while Walker Bell '15 added two hits. Adam Renfro '16 doubled for the Pioneers, whose season ends with a 13-21 mark. Knox, 22-12, moves to Saturday's action where it will play St. Norbert College in an elimination game.

Knox got out to a 6-0 lead, scoring a run in the first, three in the second and two in the fourth. The Pioneers got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Kawahara hit an infield single, took second on an error, moved to third on a bunt and scored when Phillip Zarcone '15 hit into a fielder's choice.

Knox made it 7-1 in the fifth, but the Pioneers responded with two runs in the sixth. Inafuku and Walker Bell '15 each had infield singles before moving up a base on Coby Klar's sacrifice. Ryan Penaflor '16 knocked in Kawahara with a groundout and Bell scored on an error.

The Prairie Fire extended their lead to 11-3 with four runs in the seventh before the Pioneers got a run back in the bottom of the inning as Renfro doubled to left, advanced to third on a groundout and crossed the plate on Kawahara's single to left.

Knox scored once in the top of the ninth for a 12-4 cushion before the Pioneers made one last push with three runs in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Drew Davis '13 was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on Kawahara's bunt single. Kawahara then stole second before Davis scored when Kainoa Inafuku '14 reached base on an error.

Inafuku later stole second and Bell knocked in two runs with a single.

Grinnell starter Jason Ormond '13 was the pitcher of record.