Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MONMOUTH, Ill. – The Grinnell College baseball team bounced back in the second game of a twin bill Thursday afternoon, beating Monmouth College by a 4-1 score.
 
Sam Tinkham '16 and Andrew Kelley '14 tossed a combined six-hitter as the Pioneers improved to 1-1 in the Midwest Conference South Division and 8-11 overall. Tinkham earned the win, going 5-2/3 innings while scattering four hits and striking out five.
 
Kelley worked the rest of the game to pick up his third save. He gave up two hits, struck out two and didn't issue a walk.
 
Niko Takayesu '17 had two of Grinnell's six hits.
 
The Pioneers got out to a quick lead, scoring solo runs in the first and second innings. In the first, Takayesu singled, went to second on a sacrifice by Ryan Penaflor '16 and scored on an RBI single by Anthony Mack '16.
 
In the second, Yuki Kawahara '15 walked, took second on a single by Teague Towner '17, stole third and scored on Takayesu's sacrifice fly.
 
Monmouth cut the lead in half in the seventh with a run, but Grinnell tallied two runs in the ninth to secure the win. With two out, Steven Petritis '15 singled, stole second and scored on Takayesu's single. Later, with the bases loaded, Walker Bell '15 drew a walk to push across Takayesu.
 
Monmouth won the opener 6-2. The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the second, but Grinnell answered with two runs in the third. With one out, Kawahara walked, stole second and scored on Penaflor's single. Mack later hit a sacrifice fly to score Takayesu, who had also walked.
 
Monmouth, 3-3 in the MWC South and 10-10 in all games, came back with two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to earn the win.
 
Will Pahos '14 was the pitcher of record for Grinnell.
 
Grinnell and Monmouth meet Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Park for a pair of contests. The first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.