Trojan baseball opens at Grinnell

GRINNELL — It took too long for the Fairfield bats to start rattling in the 2023 season opener at Grinnell on Monday night. The Trojans fell 3-1 in the season opener against a non-conference foe.

It was a low-scoring game early on, as only one run crossed the plate in the first five innings. Grinnell took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, and neither team scored until the Tigers tacked on two more in the bottom of the sixth.

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Down 3-0 in the top of the seventh inning, Fairfield’s Tallon Bates sparked a potential rally with a leadoff single. Landon Nodurft followed that up by drawing a walk.

After a Trojan strikeout, Luke Konczal loaded the bases with a walk of his own. Then, with two outs, Brody Phillips scored Fairfield’s first run on a hit-by-pitch.

Tate Alen came up with the bases loaded and two outs. After reaching on two of his three at-bats earlier in the game, he connected with a pitch, but was thrown out by the Grinnell shortstop for the final out of the ballgame.

Allen had a good night on the pitcher’s mound, giving up just one earned run over four and two-thirds innings, while striking out four batters along the way. Konczal threw one and one-third innings, giving up two runs. All Grinnell runs were earned.

Fairfield had just two hits on the day. Bates and Aiden Krueter each went 1-for-3 with a single.