MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – The Grinnell College softball team gave a strong effort Tuesday in a Midwest Conference twin bill at Cornell College, but fell 2-1 and 11-6.
 
In the opener, the Pioneers were even in the hit department with the hosts at six apiece. Melissa Anderson '18 fired a six-hitter and gave up just one earned run for Grinnell while fanning a batter.
 
Grinnell got its run in the third inning when Lydia Stariha '17 singled to center, moved to second on a single by Ashley Wehrenberg '19, went to third on a fielder's choice and then stole home.
 
However, Cornell eked out a run in the fourth inning to tie it and won in the bottom of the seventh with another run.
 
Wehrenberg had two hits in the game and Emily Jordan '19 a double.
 
The Pioneers pounded out eight hits in the second game, including two by Stariha and Kayla Morrissey '18. Morrissey had a triple among her totals and Anderson a double.
 
Grinnell got out to a 1-0 lead with a run in the first inning on a bases-loaded walk by Emily Jordan '19 that plated Stariha.
 
Cornell took the lead with solo runs in the first and second innings before the Pioneers exploded for five runs in the third. Maggie Remus '19 had an RBI single to center, Stariha a run-scoring single to right and Morrissey a bases-clearing triple to right-center that made it 6-2.  
 
The Rams tallied three runs in the bottom of the third to tie it, added four runs in the fourth and got two more in the sixth.
 
Anderson started the game for Grinnell pitching-wise and Remus completed it.
 
With three runs scored in the contests, Stariha broke her own school season record of 28 set last season. She now has 29 runs.
 
Grinnell, 15-18 overall and 7-11 in the MWC, completes its season Saturday with a doubleheader at Beloit College. The first pitch is at 1 p.m.