DAVENPORT, Fla. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team continued its spring break trip with two games against Williams and Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Wednesday (Mar. 22). The Hornets pulled out two come-from-behind victories, defeating the Ephs 10-9 and the Blue Gold 12-7. The game one victory was head coach Mike Ott's 200th career victory at Kalamazoo. In addition, he is the first head coach to eclipse 200 victories in program history.
GAME 1: Kalamazoo 10, Williams 9
The Ephs scored the first three runs of the game, with one coming into the first and two in the third. The run in the first came on a Hornet error, and then the two in the third were on back-to-back solo home runs.
The Hornets responded with two runs in the bottom half of the third as Tanner Hawkins reached on an error, Alex Fenkell was hit by a pitch, and Lukas Bolton walked to load the bases. A run crossed the plate after a pitch hit Harrison Poeszat, and then Cam Kelly drew a walk for the other run.
Williams extended its lead again in the fourth and fifth innings. It was a two-run home run and an RBI single in the fourth for three runs. Then, a wild pitch and another two-run home run gave the Ephs a seven-run lead.
The comeback began in the bottom half of the fifth as Poeszat walked to lead off the inning, and Liam Regan picked up an RBI groundout. The big inning was the sixth, as five runs crossed the plate. Bolton started the inning with a walk and moved up on a wild pitch for Mills to bring him in on an RBI single. After advancing on the throw and moving to third on a wild pitch, Poeszat brought in Cooper Mills on another single. Next, Leo Schinker doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third, and then Kelly collected an RBI groundout. Ryar Rinehart tripled to right center to bring around Schinker and David Stechow, who was hit by a pitch in the previous at-bat.
The eventual game-winning run was scored in the seventh inning for Kalamazoo. Poeszat began the inning with a hit-by-pitch, and then Kelly walked with two outs. Finally, Stechow had the clutch hit by doubling to right field as both runners scored.
Chase Cummins started on the bump, going three and two-thirds innings and allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Gabe Sokol got the next two outs but gave up two runs on a hit and a walk. Dean Turpin pitched the next inning and two-thirds, surrendering one run on a solo shot. Brenden Oprinski (2-1) pitched three final three scoreless innings and collected four strikeouts for the win.
GAME 2: Kalamazoo 12, Wisconsin-Eau Claire 7
The Blue Gold got things rolling in the first, as a two-run single gave UW-Eau Claire a 2-0 lead. However, Kalamazoo bounced back in the third with three runs to take the advantage. Hawkins led off with a single, and Bolton's double to deep left center brought him in to score. Mills then laid down a bunt single, and Poeszat followed with a single through the right side to plate Bolton. Stechow put down a sacrifice bunt that allowed Mills to score after he advanced to third on the previous single.
The lead was extended to three in the fourth as Daniel Beccari smashed a ground-rule double to left center and scored on an error by the defense. Regan reached on that error and made it to third on a single by Hawkins. Then, Bolton gained an RBI after lifting a sacrifice fly out to left field. UWEC tied the game up with two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth at 5-5. An error and a double scored the first two runs, and a sacrifice bunt plated the third.
The Hornets regained the lead in the eighth with Kelly tripling to left field and Rinehart bringing him in on a sacrifice fly. However, the Blue Gold came back in the same inning with a solo shot to tie the game back up.
The floodgates opened in the ninth as Kalamazoo exploited the UW-Eau Claire bunt defense. Mills walked, and Poeszat reached on an error after trying to lay down a sacrifice bunt to begin the inning. A Stechow bunt single brought in Mills to score. Kelly also tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, thrown away by the Blue Gold defense, which brought in Poeszat. Rinehart hit another sacrifice fly to bring in Stechow. The ball was thrown away by UWEC after Robert Newland reached on a fielder's choice, bringing in Kelly. Then, Hawkins continued his big day with a double to left field to plate Newland. Finally, Mills doubled to deep right-center field to score Hawkins.
Steven Shelton began the game on the hill, pitching an inning and allowing two runs (zero earned) on three hits. Kaden Sotomayor threw the next two innings and scattered three walks while not giving up a run and striking out four. Joe Wade pitched three and a third innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Oprinski (3-1) earned his second win of the day after going two and two-thirds innings, surrendering two runs (one earned) on two hits, and striking out five.
Poeszat was on base a team-high seven times today with four hits, two hit by pitches, and a walk. In addition, he hit a double, scored four runs, and collected three RBI while notching his 100th career hit in the first at-bat of game one. Bolton reached six times with four walks and two hits with two runs and RBI each. Stechow and Rinehart both had four RBI apiece, as Hawkins (3), Stechow (2), and Kelly (2) had multiple hits.
Kalamazoo will continue its spring break trip in Florida with a game against Union on Thursday (Mar. 23).