CLARKSVILLE, Ark. – The Grinnell College baseball team pounded the hide off the ball Saturday afternoon, coming up with 15 hits and nearly rallying for a victory in a 16-14 slugfest loss at the University of the Ozarks.
 
Carson Gampell and Nathan Zaroban each had three hits for the Pioneers, who are 2-3 on the young season. Andrew Shults and Sam Galanek added two hits apiece.
 
Matt Hammond finished with three RBIs, while Niko Takayesu, Galanek, Brad Weaver, Zaroban and Ravi Levens had two each.
 
It was a tight game from the start, which was indicated by both teams scoring five runs apiece in the first frame. Levens belted a two-run single to left during Grinnell's half of the inning, Hammond knocked in two more runs with an error and Zaroban had an infield RBI single.
 
Ozarks went ahead 7-5 before Grinnell made it 7-6 in the third on Teague Towner's RBI single to right. The hosts made it 8-6 in the fourth, only to see the Pioneers tie things up in the top of the fifth when Takayesu slashed a two-run triple to right-center.
 
Ozarks tallied four runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 12-8, but the Pioneers got two runs back in the sixth when Weaver lifted a two-run homer to left field.
 
The hosts scored once in the bottom of the seventh to go up 13-10 before Grinnell scored in the eighth on Galanek's round-tripper to right-center.
 
Ozarks grabbed a 16-11 lead in the bottom of the eighth, but the Pioneers refused to go quietly. Hammond had a run-scoring single through the right side in the top of the ninth, Galanek sent a sacrifice fly to center and Zaroban drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Grinnell within 16-14.
 
The Pioneers had the bases loaded when Ozarks managed to get the final out to improve to 7-8 on the season.
 
Michael Slattery was the pitcher of record for Grinnell.
 
The teams meet again Sunday in a doubleheader.