RICHMOND, Ind. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team swept a doubleheader at Earlham College on Saturday (Mar. 2) by the scores of 12-7 and 12-11. Kalamazoo improved to 5-0 with the wins, while Earlham dropped to 2-3.
Game One
Scoring Plays
Kalamazoo scored in the top of the first with an RBI groundout by Ryar Rinehart but trailed 3-1 after three innings with Earlham scoring a run in each inning. The Hornets responded with four runs in the fourth to pull ahead 5-3. After K loaded the bases, Cam Kelly brought in two with a single through the left side. Then, Cooper Mills gained an RBI on a sacrifice fly, and Harrison Poeszat doubled down the right field line for another run.
The Hornets scored four more in the fifth to extend the lead to 9-4. The bases were loaded once again with no outs when Lukas Bolton drew a walk for an RBI. Cade Preissing came through with a double down the left field line to clear the bases.
An Earlham home run in the fifth made it 9-6 before the Hornets put up a run in the eighth and two in the ninth to go up 12-6. David Stechow laid down an RBI bunt single in the eighth, then Alex Fenkell and Logan Lockhart drove in the two runs in the ninth. Earlham also scored one in the ninth before stranding two runners with a flyout to end the game.
Pitching
Jacob Davis (2-0) earned the win after going four innings and allowing four runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Ben Van Nes threw the next inning and a third with two runs crossing the plate on four hits while striking out three. Gabe Sokol got the next four outs, with three coming via the strikeout. Brenden Oprinski pitched the final two and a third innings and gave up one run in the ninth.
Hitting
David Stechow was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Cooper Mills and Harrison Poeszat each had two hits and an RBI. Poeszat and Cade Preissing each had a double in the game. Preissing drove in three runs.
Game Two
Scoring Plays
Kalamazoo trailed 3-0 after the first inning before scoring six in the top of the second. A Lukas Bolton single, Alex Fenkell sacrifice fly, and a wild pitch brought in the first three runs. The next three were brought around on a Cooper Mills single, David Stechow sacrifice fly, and a double steal.
Earlham responded with three in the bottom of the third and two more in the fourth to take a 9-6 lead. Logan Lockhart's 2-run home run in the fifth made it a 9-8 game. Mills' RBI single in the top of the sixth tied it at 9-9 before a solo home run by Earlham in the bottom half put the Quakers back on top.
Kalamazoo tied it again in the seventh as Stechow stole home only to see Earlham pull ahead by one again at 11-10. Kalamazoo rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth to pull ahead 12-11. A passed ball allowed the first run to come in, and then Bolton skied a sacrifice fly to left field for the eventual game-winning RBI.
Pitching
Robert Ahlgren went two innings in the start, allowing seven runs (one earned) on five hits, two walks, and errors on the Hornet defense. He also struck out four. Chase Cummins threw the next two frames, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks. Charlie Peterson got through the fifth and sixth innings by giving up one run and striking out two.
Joe Wade was unable to get an out in his appearance and allowed one run on two walks. Jaden Williams (1-0) received the win after pitching a scoreless seventh and eighth innings. Brenden Oprinski made his second appearance of the day and earned the single-inning save (2).
Hitting
Robert Newland finished 4-for-5 with two doubles. Cooper Mills had three hits including a double and two RBIs. David Stechow had two hits with an RBI. Logan Lockhart homered with three RBIs and three runs scored.
2B: 2 Preissing (3), 2 Newland (2), Mills (1), Poeszat (2)
3B: none
HR: Lockhart (2)
RBI: 4 Lockhart (6), 3 Preissing (7), 3 Mills (5), 2 Kelly (6), 2 Fenkell (3), 2 Stechow (2), Poeszat (4), Rinehart (1), Bolton (5)
SF: Mills (1), Stechow (1), Bolton (1), Fenkell (1)
SB: Stechow (2), Newland (3), Bolton (2)
BB: 4 Preissing (6), 2 Bolton (3), 2 Lockhart (4), 2 Poeszat (3), Mills (4), Newland (4), Stechow (2), Beccari (3), Kelly (1)
HBP: none
(Season Total)
Up Next
Kalamazoo and Earlham wrap up the series on Sunday with a single game scheduled to begin at noon.