Game Four – Grinnell 12, Knox 0 l [Box Score]
Grinnell stayed alive in the 2012 MWC Baseball Championship with a 12-0 win over Knox in the final game on Friday afternoon. With the loss Knox was the first team eliminated while Grinnell will play another elimination game tomorrow morning.
After a pitcher’s duel for the first four innings Grinnell broke the game wide open in the top of the fifth inning with four runs on five hits to take a commanding lead. With one out Colin Tremblay doubled to deep left centerfield and Drew Davis singled, advancing to second on a throw, to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Then, with two outs, Kainoa Inafuku came up with a clutch single through the right side to score Tremblay and Davis before stealing second and scoring on a Michael Goldfien single. Ronnie Gray ended the scoring in the inning with a single to score Mike Nodzenski who earned his spot on base via a hit by pitch.
Tremblay got Grinnell going again in the sixth inning picking up a single up the middle and then steal second base and scoring on a J.R. Dowrick triple into the right field corner. Prior to the Dowrick triple Jackson Markey was able to pull off a rare feat when he stole home and scored during the Tremblay stolen base. Inafuku added to the scoring in the sixth as he doubled home Dowrick to round out the three run inning.
The Pioneers advantage stretched to nine runs in the sixth inning as Tremblay again came up with a bases loaded RBI single that scored Matt Skelly and Gray.
Grinnell closed out the game in the eighth inning when Nodzenski, Goldfein and Skelly all scored and reliever Jason Ormond shut out Knox in the bottom half of the inning to win the run shortened game.
Will Pahos picked up the victory for Grinnell tossing six scoreless innings before being lifted. He scattered six hits and struck out five while only walking one to earn his fifth win of the season. The hitters finally got the bats going after a tough start to the game and ended up with 16 total hits with four different players collecting three hits. Inafuku, Goldfien, Gray and Tremblay all had three hits with Inafuku driving in three runs.
Blanchard took the loss for Knox lasting only 4.2 innings, giving up four runs and eight hits. Knox’s offense was limited to only six hits, half of which came off the bat of Erik Smoy who went 3-for-3 with a double. Smoy was the only Prairie Fire player with multiple hits.
Grinnell will now face off against Beloit in the first game on Saturday that will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The winner of the Beloit/Grinnell game will then face off against St. Norbert at 1:00 p.m.
Inafuku talks about the win for Grinnell: