Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 GALESBURG, IL – Senior pitchers
Graham Fisher '16 and
John Essig '16 collected the final two wins in a series sweep over Knox College on Sunday. Fisher earned his fifth win of the season in the 14-3 game one final, while Essig picked up his fourth victory in the nightcap, with the Pioneers coming out on top 9-3.
Game One
Fisher threw a scoreless six innings of four-hit baseball while striking out nine Prairie Fire hitters before ceding to
Jay Goldsher '18 who tallied two strikeouts in the seventh and final inning of the mercy-ruled game.
Offensively, the Pioneers continued their balanced approach, with each starter registering at least one hit and eight scoring at least one run. Fisher helped out his own cause with two hits, one of which went for two bases, and
Anthony Mack '16,
Ravi Levens '19 and
Sam Galanek '18 each added two hits as well. Mack, Galanek and
Ryan Penaflor '16 added a pair of RBI apiece.
The Pioneers coaxed eight walks at the hands of the opposing pitchers, registered three hit-by-pitches and banged out 14 hits.
Game Two
In the final game of the four-game series, Essig delivered a gem. In six scoreless innings, he registered six strikeouts and seven groundouts while scattering six hits and allowing a lone walk. After Knox put up three runs in the seventh inning,
Ben Binversie '17 and
Matt Godinsky '16 combined for the final eight outs allowing three hits and striking out four.
Again, balance was the key for the Grinnell offense.
Niko Takayesu '17 led the way with three hits including one double, while Godinsky, Fisher and Mack each had two hits, three of them for extra bases including a Fisher home run.
Matt Hammond '17 added a two-run blast in the ninth inning, his fifth of the season, to add some needed insurance runs.
Grinnell takes their 21-4 (8-0 MWC) record to Indianola, Iowa on Wednesday to face IIAC stalwart Simpson College before returning to MWC competition on Saturday and Sunday for a four-game series against Illinois College in Jacksonville, IL.
