Box Score In their 2016 home opener, the Grinnell College (10-3) baseball team knocked off the visitors from Simpson College (4-9) by a final score of 11-5. While temperatures hovered in the mid-40s with gray clouds, it was a stiff north wind that was blowing straight out to centerfield wreaking havoc on the day's pitchers.
In the early going it appeared both offenses would be able to use the wind to their advantage. Simpson's Austin Burlin hit a two run homerun in each of the first two innings to help stake the Storm to a 5-2 lead through an inning and a half. Grinnell starter
Charles Carr '19 settled in after the first six outs and provided an opening for the offensive nine to strike.
The home team pounded out 18 total hits including three triples, one each by
Niko Takayesu '17,
Anthony Mack '16 and
Sam Galanek '18, and two homeruns off the bats of
Matt Godinsky '16 and
Matt Hammond '17. Mack led the way with four hits, Takayesu scored three times and
Ryan Penaflor '16 added three hits.
After garnering that second win after a rough start, Carr showed some poise, "I felt like I got the short end of the stick. One of those homeruns might not have gone out on a normal day and they got five infield hits which is very unlucky but I refocused and kept pounding the zone. After that I was able to get those two innings of no runs so I helped keep us in the game. Then the bullpen really got the job done to keep us in there and help us win."
After the dubious beginning, Carr finished with a solid four innings pitched and left the game in line for his second win of the year. In the fifth, the Grinnell bullpen took over with a 6-5 lead and would hold Simpson scoreless the rest of the way. In the final five innings, Simpson was held to one hit while the Pioneer relievers (
Sam Lopez '18,
Ben Binversie '17 and Godinsky) struck out three and walked only two.
Carr, the Los Angeles, CA native, on the Iowa weather and it's effect on him, "Having never pitched before in that weather I felt like my style is suited for it being a groundball pitcher. So I was just trying to stick with my gameplan of getting groundballs and I wasn't too worried. Coming from L.A. it's different and I did feel a little tighter but it didn't bother me too much."
Grinnell hosts Washington University – St. Louis for a four-game series this weekend. Game times are at 1/3:30pm on Saturday and 11am/1:30pm on Sunday. Live broadcast is available here:
http://portal.stretchinternet.com/midwest/
