KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team finished the weekend series with a 17-7 single road game win at Olivet on Sunday (Apr. 28). The Hornets' record improves to 25-9 (13-5 MIAA) on the season, and the Comets' record drops to 9-26 (3-15 MIAA). Kalamazoo and Alma are tied atop the MIAA standings heading into the final series when the Hornets face the Scots on May 3-4.
Scoring Plays
Olivet was the first to score in all three games of the series after hitting a leadoff home run and scoring an unearned run on a double play in the first. Down 2-0, Kalamazoo cut the deficit in half in the fourth with an RBI single by Lukas Bolton to bring in Robert Newland, who doubled and stole third earlier in the inning.
The Hornets had a big inning in the fifth by sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four runs. Cooper Mills and David Stechow led off the inning with a single and a stolen base each. Mills would score on a passed ball, and Harrison Poeszat brought in Stechow on a sacrifice fly. Ryar Rinehart got the inning going again with a walk and then advanced to third on a single by Newland. Tanner Hawkins plated Rinehart on an RBI single. Bolton walked to load the bases, and Logan Lockhart brought in Newland on another sacrifice fly for the 5-2 lead.
An RBI double by the Comets in the bottom of the fifth cut the lead back to two, but a Poeszat RBI single in the sixth scored Stechow after he singled and stole second. The lead grew in the seventh as a two-out error allowed Hawkins the score, and a single by Mills brought in Alex Fenkell (who pinch ran for Liam Regan).
Kalamazoo kept its foot on the pedal with four more runs in the eighth to extend the lead to 12-3. Poeszat led off the inning with a solo home run to right-center field. A Rinehart walk, plus a Newland single and stolen base, put runners on second and third for Hawkins, who singled right field for a run. Newland scored on a wild pitch, and Daniel Beccari hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Hawkins.
Another five runs crossed the plate in the ninth as the Hornets took a 17-3 lead. Mills and Alex DiDio walked before Poeszat hit his second home run of the day to left field for three more runs. A pitch hit Leo Schinker, and Dillon Rodriguez singled to put two runners on for Joe Leonard, who singled through the right side for an RBI. The bases were loaded for Ryan Witt as he drew a walk to bring in Rodriguez. The Comets put four runs on the board in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single, a sacrifice fly, and a two-run home run, and the scoreboard read 17-7 after the final out.
Pitching
Braden Mussat (5-1) earned the win after allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts in six innings.
Brenden Oprinski earned the three-inning save as he allowed the four runs in the ninth on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts. With that save, Oprinski broke a tie with Zach Popovich (2015), Adam McDowell (2012), and Dennis Melowski (1988) for the most saves in a season, with Oprinski having six in 2024. He is also now the career saves record holder at 10 after surpassing Doug Propson (2019-22) and Ryan Orr (2015-18).
Hitting
Harrison Poeszat was on base four times after going 3-4 with a walk. Poeszat hit two home runs, had six RBI, scored two home runs, and had a stolen base. Tanner Hawkins was 3-3 with two RBI, two runs scored, two stolen bases, and a walk.
Cooper Mills finished 3-5 with three stolen bases, two runs scored, an RBI, and a walk. Robert Newland went 3-5 with a double, three stolen bases, and three runs scored.
The Hornets finished the game with 12 stolen bases, the most in a single game, after collecting 10 twice against Keuka in 2023 and Thomas in 2014.
Statistics
2B: Newland (13)
3B: none
HR: Poeszat 2 (8)
RBI: Poeszat 6 (57), Hawkins 2 (19), Beccari (2), Bolton (25), Leonard (5), Lockhart (26), Mills (26), Witt (2)
Sac Fly: Beccari (1), Lockhart (4), Poeszat (1)
Sac Bunt: Bolton (1)
SB: Newland 3 (27), Mills 3 (12), Stechow 2 (15), Hawkins 2 (4), Bolton (8), Poeszat (2)
BB: Rinehart 2 (18), Stechow 2 (10), Bolton (12), DiDio (4), Hawkins (19), Mills (32), Poeszat (12), Witt (4)
HBP: Bolton (15), Hawkins (8), Schinker (3)
(Season Total)
Up Next
Kalamazoo will play a mid-week road doubleheader at Grace Christian on Wednesday, May 2, beginning at 2 p.m.