Story by Mitch Blankespoor
ADRIAN, Mich. – The Kalamazoo College baseball team saw its 2014 season come to an end Thursday, May 8 with a 10-3 loss to Hope College in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament held at Adrian College.
"If we are taking the 30,000-foot view, things are pretty good for our program," Kalamazoo Head Coach Mike Ott said. "We did things that no one expected. If we are taking the 10-foot view, things are tough right now. We were outplayed and out-executed by two good teams the last two games. That being said, there are greater days ahead."
Kalamazoo took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when junior Carter Chandler doubled to right center scoring junior Scott Devine. Hope's response was loud and clear, however, as Brady VanderWeele hit a two-run home run over the left field wall in the home half of the inning.
The Hornets tied the game 2-2 in the fourth inning when freshman Ian Kobernick singled to right field and advanced to third on an error. Junior Joey Aliotta singled home Kobernick on the very next pitch.
Unfortunately for K, the Hornets pitching staff could not keep Hope off the scoreboard as the Flying Dutchmen scored one run in the fourth, two in the fifth, one in the sixth, and four runs in the seventh. The Hornets would add one final run in the eighth inning.
Freshman Aaron Schwark took the loss for Kalamazoo giving up five runs (two earned) on eight hits while striking out two in five innings of work. Chandler and Aliotta each had two hits and one RBI. Senior Marc Zughaib, who played his final game in a Kalamazoo uniform, went 2-4 in the game.
"He [Zughaib] has been the ambassador for our program from day one," said Ott. "He is one of the best I have ever coached. I told the guys we return a lot of players, but we lose one and that one is huge."
Picked to finish eighth in the MIAA by the coaches in the preseason poll, Kalamazoo fashioned a 15-13 conference record and a fourth place finish. The Hornets finish their season with a 17-25 overall record.