ELSAH, Ill. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team continued non-conference play with a road doubleheader at Principia on Saturday (Feb. 24). The Hornets completed the three-game sweep over the Panthers with a 7-5 win in game one and a 20-0 victory in seven innings in game two.
GAME 1
Scoring Plays
Kalamazoo struck first in the third inning with three runs as Cade Preissing reached on a fielder's choice, and Cooper Mills walked to put two runners on base. Tanner Hawkins picked up where he left off yesterday with a two-run double to left field. Harrison Poeszat then brought Hawkins in on a single to center field.
The Hornets pushed their lead to 5-0 with a run in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth inning, David Stechow led off the inning with a double to right field. He scored after a wild pitch and Cam Kelly grounding into a fielder's choice. Robert Newland led the fifth inning off with a triple to right field and crossed the plate on a Lukas Bolton RBI groundout.
All five Principia runs were scored via the long ball, with a three-run home run in the fifth inning and two solo blasts in the sixth inning.
Kalamazoo responded with the final two runs in the seventh inning as Kelly first brought in Newland on a single to center field. Then, Daniel Beccari doubled to left field to bring Kelly around.
Pitching
Braden Mussat started on the bump for the Hornets and threw five innings with eight strikeouts and two walks. He allowed four runs on five hits, including two home runs. Charlie Peterson (1-0) got the win out of the bullpen by allowing just one run in the sixth and striking out one. Brenden Oprinski got the three-inning save (1) and struck out six while not allowing a run.
Hitting
Mills and Hawkins both had two hits each. Poeszat, Newland, Bolton, Stechow, Kelly, Beccari, and Preissing all had one hit. Mills also drew two walks to reach base four times. Hawkins and Kelly had two RBI each, while Poeszat, Bolton, and Beccari had the other three RBI.
GAME 2
Scoring Plays
Kalamazoo scored at least a run in every inning, starting with one in the first. Harrison Poeszat tripled to center field with one out, and Lukas Bolton bounced into a fielder's choice, allowing Poeszat to score.
In the second inning, Liam Regan brought in Alex Fenkell on an RBI single for the first run. Logan Lockhart and Regan scored on the second and third runs by a passed ball and a wild pitch.
The Hornets scored four more runs in the third inning, beginning with a sacrifice fly by Cade Preissing. Fenkell scored on a wild pitch, and Lockhart launched a solo home run to left field. Regan came around on another wild pitch by the Panthers.
Lockhart brought in another run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly that Cam Kelly scored on. Regan grounded out to the shortstop and collected an RBI as Fenkell crossed the plate.
Kalamazoo's biggest inning came in the fifth, with six runs crossing the plate. Dillon Rodriguez picked up an RBI after getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Preissing brought in two on a single to right field, and Caleb Moore picked up another bases-loaded RBI after getting hit by a pitch. The following two runs were scored on a wild pitch and a passed ball.
Three more runs scored in the sixth, beginning with an RBI single by Moore. The other two runs came in after Alex DiDio was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Reece Omodio drew a walk with the bases loaded.
The final run was scored in the seventh inning after Ryan Witt drew a bases loaded walk.
Pitching
Chase Cummins (1-0) won on the hill after throwing three scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Robert Ahlgren made his collegiate debut with a perfect fourth inning, including two strikeouts. Jaden Williams pitched the fifth inning with a strikeout, and Ben Van Nes came on for the sixth inning with two strikeouts. Joe Wade came in and completed the shutout in the seventh, and the pitching staff surrendered just one hit in game two.
Hitting
Kelly, Fenkell, and Lockhart had two hits each. Mills, Poeszat, Rodriguez, Preissing, Regan, and Moore each collected a hit. Preissing (3), Lockhart (2), Regan (2), and Moore (2) had multi-RBI performances, while DiDio, Omodio, Bolton, Rodriguez, and Witt had one RBI each. The Hornets had the opportunity to play 21 different position players in the game, with Omodio and Mason Clark making their collegiate debuts.
2B: Beccari (1), Hawkins (3), Stechow (1)
3B: Newland (1), Poeszat (1)
HR: Lockhart (1)
RBI: 3 Preissing (4), 2 Bolton (2), 2 Hawkins (6), 2 Kelly (4), 2 Lockhart (2), 2 Moore (2), 2 Regan (3), Beccari (1), DiDdio (1), Omodio (1), Poeszat (3), Rodriguez (1), Witt (1)
SF: Lockhart (1), Preissing (1)
SB: 2 Fenkell (2), Bolton (1), Mills (1), Newland (2)
BB: 3 Mills (3), 3 Newland (3), 2 Leonard (2), 2 Witt (2), Bolton (1), Fenkell (1), Hawkins (1), Omodio (1), Poeszat (1), Preissing (2), Regan (1), Stechow (1)
HBP: 2 DiDio (2), 2 Fenkell (3), 2 Newland (2), Kelly (1), Moore (1), Preissing (1), Rodriguez (1)
(Season Total)
Kalamazoo will head to Earlham for a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday (Mar. 2-3).