MOUNT VERNON, Iowa - After losing to St. Norbert College in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader, Grinnell College's softball team came back with a vengeance.
 
The Pioneers tied a school record with five doubles and pounded out 12 hits in an 8-5 victory over the Green Knights in a contest played at Cornell College's field. Mya Davis '21 provided the key hit, a three-run homer during a four-run fourth inning. Darice Wheeler '21 was 3-for-3 with two doubles, Davis also had a double among her totals and Lily Seibert '19 added a double and single.
 
Elle Adams '22 provided a strong complete-game pitching performance, giving up eight hits and striking out one. Additionally, Grinnell's defense was solid all day and had just one error in the two games combined.
 
The second game was 1-all after an inning, with Grinnell's run coming on Davis' RBI double down the left-field line. The Pioneers went up 2-1 in the second when Leila Bishop-Parise '21 pushed across a run on a fielder's choice. The big break came in the fourth  when Davis belted a three-run homer to left and Maddie Matsubara '22 followed on the next at-bat with a solo shot over the left-field fence.
 
Grinnell (4-2 Midwest Conference, 7-17 overall) made it 8-1 in the fifth when Wheeler plated two runs with a double down the left-field line. The Green Knights rallied, but the Pioneers held off the charge for the victory.
 
St. Norbert (7-3 MWC, 14-10) got out to a 6-1 lead in the first game and then survived a fierce comeback by Grinnell. Bishop-Parise and Emily Jordan '19 each had two hits to lead Grinnell.
 
The Pioneers scored in the second inning as Flynn Johnson's '21 single up the middle tied the game. However, St. Norbert came back to go up by five.
 
Grinnell refused to fold, though, scoring four runs in the sixth to close the gap to 6-5. Wheeler scored on an error, Davis crossed the plate on a wild pitch, Jordan delivered an RBI single to center and Jordan later scored on an error during the inning.
 
The Green Knights scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth for some insurance and then held on for the win.
 
Wheeler moved up to fourth on Grinnell's career total bases list Saturday and now has 177. She is also ninth in runs scored with 66. Jordan is fifth in games started with 124 and sixth in games played with 125, while Ashley Wehrenberg '19 moved up to seventh in games started with 122 and sixth in fielding assists with 225.
 
Grinnell's next action is at home Tuesday when Cornell College visits for a doubleheader. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m.