TUCSON, Ariz. – Grinnell College's baseball team continued its strong play on its spring break trip, stretching the winning streak to three games in a 7-3 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Superior Thursday.
 
Grinnell broke a 3-all tie with a four-run outburst in the eighth inning to improve to 5-4 on the season.
 
Noah Mathews '17 collected his first pitching win of the season, scattering six hits over eight innings and striking out four.
 
Offensively, Andrew Shults '19 had two hits, including a double and three RBIs, to up his team-leading batting average to .447. He also swiped two bases and is at five for the season. Brad Weaver '18 also had two hits and improved his average to .423.
 
Grinnell's big inning was sparked by two hits and a UW-Superior error. With one out, Weaver singled to center field, moved up a base on an error, took third when Michael Slattery '18 walked and scored on Ravi Levens' '19 walk
 
Niko Takayesu '17 pushed across another run with a walk before Shults belted a two-run double to left field, putting Grinnell ahead 7-3.
 
The Pioneers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first when Takayesu singled to left-center, took second on a passed ball, moved to third on Matt Hammond's '17 single to left and scored when Sam Galanek '18 slapped a single through the left side.
 
UW-Superior scored twice in the top of the second, but Grinnell tied it in the bottom of the innint when Weaver singled to short, moved to second on Nathan Zaroban's '18 sacrifice bunt, moved up on consecutive walks by Benjamin Wong '18 and Takayesu and scored on Shults' infield single.
 
UW-Superior went up 3-2 in the fourth, but Grinnell countered with a run in the fifth as Takayesu walked, took second on Shults' sacrifice, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Hammond reached base on an error.
 
Grinnell takes on Carthage College and Allegheny College on Friday.