CLERMONT, Fla. – After digging itself into a 6-0 hole, Grinnell College's softball team grinded its way back within a run in its opening game Monday at Legends Way Fields.
 
However, Bowdoin College held off that surge and went on to defeat the Pioneers 14-8 in five innings. Grinnell followed with an 8-0, five-inning loss to Tufts College, which had been nationally ranked earlier in the season.
 
Against Bowdoin, Grinnell began its rally with two runs in the bottom of the first inning when Mya Davis '21 sent an RBI single through the left side and Ashley Wehrenberg '19 pushed across a run on a groundout.
 
After Bowdoin went up 7-2 in the second, the Pioneers raced back into contention with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Maddie Matsubara '22 was responsible for two of those with a two-run single through the left side, and Davis added a two-run double to center field.
 
But Bowdoin scored three runs in the third and four in the fifth to pull away. Grinnell had seven hits on the day, including two each by Leila Bishop-Parise '21 and Davis.
 
Tufts got a 1-0 lead on the Pioneers in the first inning, went up 3-0 in the second and 8-0 in the third.
 
After getting just one hit in the first three innings, the Pioneers made things interesting in the fourth. Davis walked with one out and nearly scored on Wehrenberg's double to center, but was narrowly thrown out with a perfect throw to the plate. Emily Jordan '19 and Flynn Johnson '21 followed with walks to load the bases before Tufts got out of trouble by forcing a groundout.
 
Besides Wehrenberg's double, Grinnell's other hit in the game came from Matsubara in the first inning. During the day, Johnson worked her way up Grinnell's career record list for putouts with 290, good for 10th.
 
Grinnell, 0-6, takes on Calvin College and Benedictine University on Tuesday.