GRINNELL, Iowa – Grinnell College's baseball team has achieved many milestones in recent years, and the 2016 version of the Pioneers has continued that trend.
Grinnell won its sixth Midwest Conference South Division title in seven years and third consecutive by posting a 2-0 and 10-5 doubleheader sweep over Cornell College Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Park.
Playing on Senior Day, the Pioneers extended their program record for wins in a season with 28 while finishing divisional play at 14-2.
But the accomplishments don't end there. Grinnell pitchers set a school record for strikeouts in a season with 245 and saves with 10 during the doubleheader.
Additionally,
Anthony Mack established a program record for career at-bats with 517, and
Matt Godinsky tied the school record for saves in a season with seven.
Graham Fisher ruled the mound in the first game, scattering six hits over seven scoreless frames while fanning seven. He improved to 7-1 with the win, and Godinsky pitched a hitless ninth inning for the save.
Fisher,
Niko Takayesu and
Michael Slattery all had two hits, and Godinksy and Takayesu both had doubles.
Grinnell opened the scoring in the second inning on Slattery's RBI single up the middle that plated Godinsky. Grinnell got an insurance run in the eighth as Takayesu sent a double to center to score Fisher.
The Pioneer bats exploded for 15 hits in the second game, with Fisher collecting three and Mack,
Ryan Penaflor,
Sam Galanek and Godinsky two apiece. Mack and Fisher each had a pair of homers, and Penaflor added another. Fisher also doubled.
Cornell scored a run in the top of the first, but the Pioneers added two runs in the bottom of the frame on solo homers by Mack to left field and Fisher to left-center.
Grinnell made it 4-1 in the fifth inning as Mack had a solo homer to right-center and Fisher hit a double to right-center, scoring Galanek.
After Cornell scored twice in the seventh to make it 4-3, the Pioneers responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning on Fisher's homer to left-center that also scored Galanek.
Cornell managed a run in the top of the eighth to close within 6-4, but the Pioneers again bounced back by scoring four in the bottom of the inning on Mack's grand slam homer to right that plated
Ravi Levens, Slattery and Takayesu.
The Rams, who fell to 22-14 overall and 12-4 in the division, tallied once in the ninth to cap the scoring.
John Essig was the winning pitcher for Grinnell, fanning four in seven innings to improve to 6-1. Godinsky went the final 1-1/3 innings for the save.
Both Grinnell and Cornell will play in the MWC Tournament next weekend at a site to be determined.
