MOUNT VERNON, Iowa - Late heroics in each game propelled Grinnell College's baseball team to a sweep of Cornell College in the Midwest Conference openers for each squad Thursday.

The Pioneers scratched out a solo run in the seventh inning of the opener to force a tie and added a run in the ninth to earn a 7-6 victory. In the nightcap, the Pioneers exploded for eight runs in the eighth inning to rally for a 14-8 victory.

Grinnell (8-10, 2-0 MWC) pounded out 11 hits in the opener, including two each by Quinton McNitt '21, Vince Reilly '19, Julian Cabrera '19, Jack Hager '20 and Brady LeSher '19. Cabrera's hits were both doubles and LeSher had one.

Cabrera had a hand in Grinnell's scoring in the first and third innings, belting a two-run double to center in the first and run-scoring two-bagger to right-center in the third. Hager added a two-run single to left in the third for a 5-0 edge.

Cornell (7-7, 0-2 MWC) came back strong, though, scoring six unanswered runs to take a one-run lead. Grinnell tied it in the seventh with Hager's bases-loaded walk and went ahead in the top of the ninth when Cooper King '21 singled to center, Hager singled to center and Riley Guieb '21 walked to load the bases. Noah Daniel '19 then reached base on an error by the third baseman to score a run.

Grinnell pitcher Ryan Jack '22 closed the door in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win. He earned the win, tossing hitless ball over 1-1/3 innings while striking out one.

The Pioneers equaled their hit total from the first game in the second, with two-hit performances from Kory Czajkowski '20, McNitt, Cabrera and Hager. Hager had a triple and double, while King, Cabrera and Guieb all had doubles. Cabrera and Hager also achieved career highs with four RBIs each and McNitt moved up to fifth on Grinnell's career hit by pitch list with 20.

Like the first game, Grinnell jumped out to a quick lead. Cabrera had a sacrifice fly to center in the first inning and Hager added a two-run double to right. In the second, LeSher pushed across a run on a groundout to shortstop to make it 4-0.

Cornell raced back to go up 6-4 before the Pioneers tied it in the sixth when Hager had an RBI as he reached on a fielder's choice and Guieb hit a sacrifice fly to center. The Rams tacked on solo runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh for an 8-6 edge.

But then it was all Grinnell, as the Pioneers erupted for eight runs on five hits in the eighth. The big blow was a three-run double to center by Cabrera. Hager added a RBI triple to left-center, Guieb had an RBI on a groundout to shortstop, Matthew Inaba '22 and McNitt each had bases-loaded walks and Jonathan Gottlieb '22 was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Reliever Ryan Chang '21, who scattered six hits and struck out five in the final five innings, earned the win.

Grinnell plays its first home games Sunday when the same two teams square off at Pioneer Park. The doubleheader is slated for a noon start.