ALBION, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team won its MIAA opener 8-1 at Albion on Friday. The Hornets completed the sweep with an 8-5 win in game two.
Game One
Kalamazoo scored five runs in the first inning capped off by Jordan Wiley's RBI single to center. The Hornets added a run in the third on an RBI groundout by Brett Garwood before adding two more in the fifth highlighted by David Kracht's RBI single to left center.
Albion scored its only run of the game with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth.
Ian Kobernick, David Kracht, Josh Reuter, Brett Garwood and Jordan Wiley each had a hit in the game.
Ryan Orr improved to 3-0 on the season with the complete game win, allowing seven hits over seven innings with three strikeouts and two walks.
Game Two (9 inn.)
Kalamazoo scored early in the second game as well with two runs in the first and another in the third. Albion made it a 3-2 game in the bottom of the third before Kalamazoo added two more runs in the fourth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh to take an 8-2 lead.
Albion scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth and had the bases loaded with two outs when Steve Simmons came in and forced a groundout to end the game and earn his third save of the season.
Aaron Schwark earned the win in seven innings of work, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
Mitchell VanKoevering went 4-for-4 with an RBI. Ian Kobernick was 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored. David Kracht was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Jack Clark finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a pair of stolen bases.
Kalamazoo (6-4-1, 2-0 MIAA) returns home to host Albion in the final two games of the series on Saturday, March 26 beginning at 10:30 a.m.