TUCSON, Ariz. – After suffering a big loss in Thursday's opener, the Grinnell College baseball team responded in a major way by knocking of Allegheny College 8-6.
 
Kory Czajkowski '20 helped Grinnell pull away when he bashed a grand slam, the first homer of his collegiate career.
 
The Pioneers got out to a quick 2-0 lead with solo runs in the second and third innings. Vince Reilly '19 hit a sacrifice fly to center in the second and Quinton McNitt '21 grounded out to second to push another run across.
 
Allegheny tied it in the bottom of the third before Grinnell delivered the devastating blow, a five-run fourth inning. Jack Hager '20 got things going with a triple down the right field line and scored when Will Richman '22 delivered a sacrifice fly to center.
 
Reilly then singled to right, Noah Daniel '19 sent a one-bagger through the left side and Brady LeSher '19 walked before Czajkowski belted a grand slam over the left-center field fence for a 7-2 lead.
 
Allegheny closed within 7-6 when Grinnell got some insurance with a run in the seventh as Daniel hit an RBI double to center.
 
The Pioneers had 10 hits in the game, with Daniel collecting three and  Czajkowski and Reilly tallying two each. Brock Weirather '21, the second of three Grinnell pitchers, got the win. He worked 1-2/3 innings and fanned two batters. Ryan Chang '21 earned the save, his first of the year.
 
Earlier in the day, Allegheny scored six runs in the first inning and cruised to a 22-2 win. Grinnell's runs came in the third when Matthew Inaba '22 hit an RBI double to right-center and Riley Guieb '21 lifted an RBI single to left.
 
Grinnell had seven hits in the game, with Guieb getting two. Thompson Rick '21 suffered the pitching loss.
 
The Pioneers are now 4-8 on the season and the Gators moved to 6-7. Grinnell has Thursday off before meeting Macalester College on Saturday.