KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team hosted Olivet in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 29). The Hornets cruised to two seven-inning wins over the Comets, 14-4 and 20-4. Kalamazoo is now 15-2 in conference play and holds a three-game lead over second-place Alma. If the Scots defeat Adrian in the series' third game and Kalamazoo defeats Olivet tomorrow, the Hornets will clinch a share of the MIAA Regular Season Title. This would be the first time Kalamazoo clinched that honor since the 1927 season.
Game One
Olivet came out and scored the game's first run in the first inning, but then Kalamazoo scored 11 unanswered to take a 10-run lead in the fourth inning. Lukas Bolton brought in the first run on an RBI single in the first. Three runs crossed the plate in the second, with Cooper Mills driving a single up the middle for the first and Ryar Rinehart bringing the other two in on a hit to left-center.
After a scoreless third, Kalamazoo took the commanding lead in the fourth with seven runs as 13 batters came to the plate. First, Harrison Poeszat collected an RBI single, and Tanner Hawkins and Robert Newland drew bases-loaded walks for the first three runs. Next, Bolton and Cam Kelly scored on a passed ball and a wild pitch for another two runs. Finally, Alex Fenkell and Mills were hit by a pitch and walked with the bases loaded for the final two runs.
Thomas Sylvester (8-1) earned the win as both Comet runs that scored in the first and fifth innings were unearned. Sylvester pitched five innings, allowing four hits and a walk with six strikeouts. Blake Parpart came in to throw the sixth inning, surrendering two runs on two hits and two walks.
The Hornets got a run back in the sixth and scored twice in the seventh to force the run rule and take the game in seven innings. Rinehart brought in the run in the sixth on a single, then Kelly and Mills garnered RBI singles in the seventh. Joe Wade pitched the seventh inning before the Hornets' last at-bat, tossing a scoreless frame.
Mills finished 4-5 at the plate with a walk and three RBI. Rinehart also drove in three runs as Rinehart, David Stechow, and Fenkell collected multi-hit performances. Poeszat and Kelly were on base three times with a hit and two walks each.
Game Two
The offense kept the bats going with 15 runs in the first four innings of the second game. Ryar Rinehart and David Stechow had two RBI singles, and Tanner Hawkins had a sacrifice fly for the first three runs. Then, Stechow scored on an error, and Lukas Bolton came in on a wild pitch for five runs in the first inning. The lone run in the second also came on an Olivet error to make it 6-0.
The extra-base hits started coming around in the third as another seven runs were scored. First, Leo Schinker had an RBI double, then Cooper Mills and Harrison Poeszat drove in two on RBI singles. Next, Rinehart ripped a triple to the right-center gap for a run, and Stechow had his second RBI single. Finally, Bolton capped off the inning with a two-run home run to left field for his second of the season. Mills helped score both runs in the fourth with an RBI single and then crossing the plate on a passed ball.
Jacob Davis (4-3) threw five shutout innings in the win, allowing just three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. Charlie Peterson came in to work the sixth and gave up three runs on four hits with a strikeout.
Kalamazoo responded with five more runs in the sixth inning, beginning with a solo home run by Rinehart to left field for his seventh of the season. Kelly brought in one run on a sacrifice fly, the next run was scored on an error, Mills doubled to plate the third, and Zach Simmons brought in the final run on a single. Jaden Williams threw the last inning, allowing one run on two hits.
Mills had another four hits with a double, three runs, and three RBI. Rinehart was a perfect 4-4 with a triple, home run, four runs, and three RBI. Stechow and Schinker had two hits apiece, with Stechow and Bolton collecting two RBI each.
Kalamazoo will complete the three-game series with a single game at Olivet on Sunday (Apr. 30), beginning at 1 p.m.