KALAMAZOO, Mich. – On a day dedicated to the Kalamazoo College baseball seniors, the Hornets fell in game one of their doubleheader with Calvin College, 3-2.
Beginning the game with all seniors on the field including pitcher Aaron Schwark in right field, the first out of the game was recorded by Schwark on a fly ball to right.
Kalamazoo's bats were held in check throughout the majority of the game as the Hornets trailed 3-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Hornets got two runs back sparked by an RBI triple from Jack Clark but the Hornets' rally stalled just short.
Senior Nic Janssen provided a strong effort on the mound tossing 5 1/3 innings, giving up one run on just three hits.
Limited to just five hits in game one, the Hornets' bats heated up in game two as they recorded 13 hits in a 9-3 win over the Knights.
Calvin struck first and held a 3-2 lead after five, but the Hornets scored six runs—all with two outs—in the bottom of the sixth and distanced themselves from the Knights giving Jacob Gilhaus more than enough run support for the win.
Kobernick's two-run double down the right field line gave K a 4-3 advantage before the Hornets tacked on three more hits in the sixth from Connor Grant, Mitch VanKoevering and Alex Fultz.
Gilhaus provided a quality start lasting six innings while surrendering three runs—two earned. He improved to 5-2 in 2017.
VanKoevering led the Hornet bats with a 3-for-5 game at the plate while driving in two. Four other Hornets recorded multi-hit games.
With the win Kalamazoo ends the regular season 28-12 overall and 20-8 in the MIAA. Head Coach Mike Ott sits one win shy of his 100th win as head coach of the Hornets.
The Hornets, locked in as the No. 2 seed for the MIAA tournament, will host No. 3 Hope College Wednesday, May 10 in the first round of the double-elimination-style playoffs.