KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team got back to work after an off day at home against Calvin on Friday afternoon (Apr. 14). The Hornets continued their winning ways with a seven-inning run-rule victory over the Knights, 14-3. Kalamazoo has started conference play 8-1, has won its last seven games, and has won 15 of the last 16 games. The team also picked up its 20th win of the season and is two games up on Alma for first place in the MIAA.
The teams exchanged two-run home runs in the first inning. Calvin's hit off the top of the right field fence and bounced over, while Ryar Rinehart hit the foul pole down the left field line. Harrison Poeszat scored on the long ball after doubling in the previous at bat. Kalamazoo scored all 14 of its runs in the first four innings, with another three crossing the plate in the second. An error, a single, and a hit by pitch allowed Tanner Hawkins, Robert Newland, and Logan Lockhart to load the bases. David Stechow drew a walk to bring in one run, and then Poeszat singled to score the other two.
The big inning came in the third as 11 Hornets went to the plate with seven scoring. Cam Kelly, Hawkins, and Newland loaded the bases back up with a walk, a hit by pitch, and a single. Lockhart drew another walk, and two more pitches hit Stechow and Cooper Mills for three runs. Poeszat then ripped a triple down the right field line to clear the bases, and Rinehart brought him in on a sacrifice fly. An RBI groundout by Stechow and a passed ball allowed Hawkins and Newland to score two more runs in the fourth. The Knights scored one more time in the fifth with it being unearned.
Thomas Sylvester (6-1) threw six innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk with eight strikeouts for the win. Matt Butterly and Ben Van Nes finished the game in the seventh inning.
Poeszat fell a home run short of hitting for the cycle by going 3-5 with a double and a triple while collecting five RBI. Rinehart finished 2-2 at the plate with his fourth him run of the season and three RBI. Stechow also had 3 RBI, and Newland had a multi-hit game.
Kalamazoo will finish the three-game series with Calvin tomorrow (Apr. 15) with a doubleheader in Grand Rapids, Mich., beginning at 1 p.m.