Grinnell College’s baseball team broke out the bats Wednesday, snapping a six-game losing streak with a 12-5 victory over Hope College at Auburndale, Fla.
Ronnie Gray ’12 had three hits for the Pioneers, who moved to 3-9 on the season, while Matt Skelly ’12, Mike Nodzenski ‘12 and Drew Davis ’13 had two each.
Grinnell got out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Gray’s two-run single to right field plated Matt Blumenreich ’13 and Skelly.
Hope made it 2-1 in the second, but the Pioneers responded with three runs in the third. Michael Goldfien ’12 and Jason Kemis ’12 each had RBI singles in the frame, while Blumenreich knocked in another run on a groundout.
Hope rallied with three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-4, but the Pioneers bounced back with three more runs in the fourth. Nodzenski delivered an RBI double to center in the inning, and two more runs scored on an error.
In the fifth, Grinnell continued to roll with four more runs. Davis belted a two-run double to left field, Kainoa Inafuku ’12 had an RBI single to left and another run scored on an error.
Hope, 3-5 on the season, completed the scoring with a run in the eighth. Ian Sales ’15, the first of five Grinnell pitchers, earned the victory.
The Pioneers have Thursday off and meet Elmhurst College on Friday.
