By Mitch Blankespoor
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Kalamazoo College baseball team split a doubleheader with Hope College Saturday, April 12 winning game one 10-3 and falling 4-1 in game two. With the sweep of the Flying Dutchmen Thursday, Kalamazoo wins its first Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) series of the year taking three of four games from Hope.
"I am really proud of our kids for taking three of four games from a perennial power who's near the top of the league standings," Kalamazoo Head Coach Mike Ott said. "We needed those games to vault us back in contention to the third or fourth spot and puts us in a good position for the last three league series."
In game one, Kalamazoo totaled 13 hits and began the scoring early putting two runs up in both the first inning and the second. Junior Carter Chandler and freshman Ian Kobernick each hit an RBI single in the first. Senior Mark Zughaib was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second. Junior Scott Devine followed with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Hope would get one run back in the third but freshman Mitchell Van Koevering put Kalamazoo back on top by four runs with an RBI double down the left field line in the fourth.
After a single Hope run in the top of the sixth, Kalamazoo blew the game wide open when Devine hit the first home run on the new Woodworth Field; a three-run shot to left field. Junior Joey Aliotta drove in two more runs with a double down the left field line.
Freshman Aaron Schwark improved to 3-0 on the season going 5.2 innings surrendering seven hits and striking out four batters.
Kobernick tallied three hits while Devine and Van Koevering each had two.
"We got some extra base hits at critical times in game one," Ott said. "That's something we have struggled to do so far this season."
Kalamazoo took the early lead in game two when Aliotta doubled scoring Kobernick in the first inning. Unfortunately for the Hornets, Kalamazoo would muster just three hits in the next six innings.
Hope took the lead for good in the third on a double from Brady VanderWeele and follow-up triple from Colton Curtiss.
Freshman Nic Janssen took the loss and drops to 1-2 on the season. Kalamazoo's bullpen gave up one run in 4.2 innings of work. Junior John Jackoviak was the lone Hornet to collect two hits in game two.
Kalamazoo now stands at 9-15 on the season and sit in fifth place in the MIAA with a 7-9 record. The Hornets begin their next series against Olivet College with a doubleheader at Woodworth Field scheduled for April 18. First pitch will be at 2:00 p.m.