WHITTIER, Calif. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team opened the 2020 season with an 18-12 win at Whittier College on Thursday.
Kalamazoo pounded out 24 hits in the game compared to 16 by Whittier.
Doug Propson led off the game with a double, advanced to third on a flyout, and scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead in the first. The host Poets responded with seven runs in the bottom half however and added a run in the second to take an 8-1 lead after two.
Kalamazoo battled back with three runs in the third, two in the fourth, and three in the fifth to regain the lead, 9-8.
Whittier evened it up at 9-9 with a run in the bottom of the fifth before Spencer Baldwin's grand slam in the top of the sixth put the Hornets on top for good.
Whittier cut its deficit to 13-11 after seven and trailed 14-12 after eight before Kalamazoo put up four runs in the top of the ninth highlighted by Blake Bean's two-run home run two right. The Poets went down in order in the bottom of the ninth as the Hornets closed out the 18-12 win.
Doug Propson tied a school record for the Hornets with six hits in the leadoff spot as the sophomore finished 6-for-7 with two doubles, an RBI, and three runs scored. After starting at third base, Propson moved to the mound in the bottom of the eighth and recorded the final five outs of the game to earn the save.
Blake Bean was 4-for-6 with a home run, a double, three RBIs and three runs scored. Ben Chosid also went 4-for-6 with three RBIs, two runs scored, and a stolen base.
Spencer Baldwin had three hits including the grand slam. Noah Hecht drove in four runs on three hits including a pair of doubles. Max Moran also had three hits with two RBIs.
Parker Sisovsky picked up the win on the mound in five innings of work.
Kalamazoo is back in action Friday with a single game at Caltech beginning at 5:30 p.m. EST. The Hornets are also scheduled to play at doubleheader at Caltech on Saturday.