By Mitch Blankespoor
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Leading 4-2 in the seventh inning, the Kalamazoo College baseball team was unable to hold the lead and fell to North Central College (Ill.) 12-8 Sunday, Mar. 23.
After scoreless innings for both teams in the first, Kalamazoo got on board in the top of the second. Junior Carter Chandler reached base via error to leadoff the frame. The Portage native then advanced 90 feet on a passed ball. Juniors John Jackoviak and Jake Aliotta hit consecutive singles to drive in Chandler.
North Central, which finished fifth in the Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) a year ago, would answer in the fourth inning as a leadoff double scored to tie the game 1-1.
Kalamazoo struck for two runs in the top of the fifth. Freshman Mitchell VanKoevering executed a safety squeeze to perfection scoring catcher Brett Garwood from third base. Junior Scott Devine followed with an RBI single to give the Hornets a 3-1 lead.
The Cardinals got one of the three runs back in the home half of the fifth. Just like the fourth, a leadoff double would prove to be Kalamazoo's undoing. A base hit down the left field line from Vito DeRango scored the runner from second base.
In the sixth, Garwood singled up the middle that would have scored two runs if not for an outfield assists from Sam Carius throwing out Jackoviak at the plate.
North Central loaded the bases with two outs in the next half inning, but Hornet freshman pitcher Andrew Lavarenz forced a flyout to left field ending the threat.
After a scoreless seventh inning for the Hornets, the North Central bats came alive. The Cardinals scored five runs on three hits and an error to take a 7-4 lead after seven complete innings.
Trailing 7-4, Kalamazoo battled back in the top of the eighth inning. After a single to left field from Aliotta, the next two Hornets reached base. With the bases juiced, Zughaib drove in two runs with a single to right field to get K within a single run.
VanKoevering walked to load the bases up again. Just like the previous at bat, Kalamazoo delivered. This time around, Devine singled to left center plating two runs.
Leading 8-7, North Central got out of the inning with a strikeout and a pickoff.
Kalamazoo's bullpen could not hold the lead as K surrendered another five run inning in the bottom of the eighth. The Hornets could not muster another rally in the ninth inning.
"We did some great things offensively today," Kalamazoo Head Coach Mike Ott said. "We had phenomenal two strikes approaches today. Aaron Schwark was great in his first career collegiate start."
Schwark gave up two earned runs on eight hits in five innings of work. The freshman also recorded two strikeouts and did not give up a walk.
Offensively, Devine and Aliotta each had three hits with Devine driving in three runs and Aliotta one. Four Hornets tallied two hits.
"Our bullpen lost it today," Ott said. "Our pitching needs to grow up quick."
Kalamazoo dips to 1-6 on the season and will play a doubleheader tomorrow, Mar. 24, against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Calvin. First pitch is scheduled for 9:00 a.m.