CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Last weekend, Grinnell College's baseball team used huge rallies to beat Beloit College three consecutive times.
The Pioneers proved their comeback magic wasn't limited to just one weekend, though, as they reeled off the final 14 runs of the game to roll over Ripon College 18-9 in 10 innings at Mount Mercy University Friday.
In a game that was continued after being suspended earlier this month, Grinnell found itself down 9-4 through six innings before scoring once in the seventh inning, three more times in the eighth and another time in the ninth to force extra baseball. From there the Pioneers left little doubt, erupting for nine runs in the 10th inning on their way to the easy victory.
The Pioneers finished off the Friday sweep, using a 10-run fifth frame to earn a 25-3, seven-inning victory to stretch their winning streak to five games. Grinnell remained in the Midwest Conference lead with a 12-2 record, 2-½ games in front of second-place Illinois College, while moving to 18-13 overall. Ripon fell to 3-12 in the MWC and 5-24 in all games. In the five-game winning streak, Grinnell has hit double-digit scoring in every game.
Not only did Grinnell's offense go wild with 19 hits in the opener, but David Haas '29 was masterful on the mound in earning the victory. He tossed three innings of two-hit relief and struck out three without walking a batter. Ian Gunn '27 finished off the win, pitching a hitless 10th inning. Starter Daniel Shaul '26 struck out four batters in six innings of work.
Joe Chanis '27 and Connor Pink '29 each had four hits to lead the offense, while Ben Skiles '28 and Wyatt Raymond '28 had three each. Raymond also knocked in five runs and Grinnell tied a team record with three sacrifice flies.
The Pioneers scratched out solo runs in the first and second innings on sacrifice flies by Chanis and Pink. Chanis added a two-run triple to right field in the fifth before the Red Hawks countered with two runs in the sixth for a 9-4 edge.
Chanis belted an RBI double in the seventh, while Raymond hit a solo homer in the eighth and Skiles added a two-run single. An error in the ninth allowed Grinnell to pull even at 9-all.
The 10th inning saw Raymond bash a grand slam homer, Chanis hitting an RBI double, Pink adding an RBI single, Connor Goodson '26 and Maddux Anderson '29 drawing bases-loaded walks and Skiles hitting a sacrifice fly.
In the next game, Grinnell spread the wealth offensively as a dozen players got hits in a 23-hit attack. The 25 runs rank third in GC history and hits total is fourth.
The pitching was again crisp, as starter Shea Goel '28 scattered four hits and struck out seven in six innings. Campbell Plishker '26 threw the last inning and didn't give up a hit while fanning one.
Skiles, Goodson and Pink all had three hits to lead the Pioneers' offense. Nikolas Ruden '26 had an RBI single in the first inning and then Grinnell took the lead for good in the second thanks to a two-run double by Skiles and RBI single by Chanis. Ryan Jackson '29 added a sacrifice fly in the third and in the fourth, Goodson hit an RBI double and Raymond bashed a three-run homer for a 9-2 lead.
The fifth inning saw Goodson plate three runs with a triple, Pink hitting an RBI double, Pink and Mitch Baek '29 hitting RBI singles, Ruden lofting a sacrifice fly and Cooper Rabin '29 knocking in a run with a groundout.
Grinnell followed with six runs in the seventh inning. Daniel Lee '28 and Jackson hit RBI singles, while Rabin, Conor Tashjian '28 and Baek were hit by pitches with the bases loaded. Christopher Gulley '27 added a bases-loaded walk.
There was plenty of movement on both Grinnell's season and career leader boards during the game. For season leaders,
Stuart Cash '26 is third for stolen bases with 23, Raymond is eighth for homers with 10 and Goodson and Ruden are ninth and 10th in RBIs with 45 and 42, respectively. Goodson is also ninth in double plays turned with 24 and 10th in doubles with 13, while Chanis is 10th in sacrifice flies with four.
Goodson moved up numerous career categories and is now fourth in putouts (696), fifth in fielding chances (735), sixth in home runs (20) and RBIs (112), seventh in double plays turned (60) and ninth in doubles (32) and total bases (226). Ruden is sixth in runs scored (114), ninth in home runs (17) and double plays turned (45) and 10th in total bases (225). Raymond is eighth in homers with 18 and Cash is 10th in stolen bases with 39.
Grinnell opens a three-game series Saturday at Monmouth College, where the Pioneers can potentially sew up a berth in the MWC Tourney.
