The Kalamazoo College baseball team traveled to Defiance, Ohio, for the 2023 season opener on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 26). The Hornets took care of business and captured their first win of the season over the Yellow Jackets 8-2.
The second inning is when Kalamazoo opened the scoring as Tanner Hawkins walked and Robert Newland reached on an infield single. Hawkins came around to score on a Daniel Beccari single, and Newland eventually crossed the plate on an error by the Defiance pitcher.
The Yellow Jackets got a run back in the fourth inning on an RBI double, but the Hornets responded with three in the next frame. Lukas Bolton hit a one-out double and then stole third to get a runner into scoring position. Harrison Poeszat doubled to plate Bolton and then scored himself on a single by Cam Kelly. After Kelly advanced to third on an error by an errant pick-off attempt, Hawkins picked up an RBI groundout.
The other run scored by the Yellow Jackets came on a wild pitch in the fifth inning. Poeszat doubled again in the seventh inning to bring in Cooper Mills, who reached on a bunt single earlier in the inning.
Kalamazoo's final two runs were scored in the ninth inning as Liam Regan opened the inning with a hit by pitch, and Poeszat walked with two outs. A Kelly single brought in Regan, and then Poeszat scored on a double steal with Kelly.
Poeszat went 3-4 with two RBI and a walk on the day, while Kelly was 3-5 with two RBI. Beccari reached base in all four at-bats by going 2-2 with two walks in his collegiate debut.
Thomas Sylvester (1-0) opened the game on the bump and went five innings in the win. He allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out eight. Brenden Oprinski threw three scoreless innings in relief, surrendering a hit and a walk with four strikeouts. Jacob Davis threw the final frame and recorded two strikeouts and a walk.
Kalamazoo will be back in action on Saturday (Mar. 4) with games against North Central and Spalding in Louisville, Ky.