DAVENPORT, Fla. - The #19 Kalamazoo College baseball team split a doubleheader with Middlebury by taking game one 5-2 and falling 15-3 in seven innings for game two to continue the Florida Trip on Saturday (Mar. 23). The Hornets now have a record of 11-2 on the season, and the Panthers stand at 7-6 in 2024.
GAME ONE
Scoring Plays
In a scheduled seven-inning game, Middlebury got on the board first with an RBI triple in the third inning. It took until the fifth inning for Kalamazoo to respond, taking a 2-1 lead on bases-loaded walks by Ryar Rinehart and Cooper Mills.
The Panthers tied the game back up in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run. The Hornets regained the lead with three runs in the sixth inning, beginning with Alex Fenkell bouncing into a fielder's choice and collecting an RBI. Lukas Bolton laid down a bunt single in the next at-bat for another RBI, and then Cam Kelly brought in the third run on an RBI single.
Pitching
Robert Ahlgren (2-0) went five innings in his start, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Brenden Oprinski got the next five outs, two coming via the strikeout, and Jacob Davis earned the save (1) after getting the last out of the game.
Hitting
Tanner Hawkins went 2-3 with a double and two runs scored. Cooper Mills was on base twice with two walks. Alex Fenkell, Lukas Bolton, Ryar Rinehart, Cam Kelly, and Mills all had an RBI.
GAME TWO
Scoring Plays
The second game was planned to go nine innings, but Middlebury won 15-3 after seven innings. The Panthers scored two runs in the first, four in the second, three in the third, one in the fifth, and five in the seventh.
Kalamazoo scored two runs in the third inning as Tanner Hawkins worked a bases-loaded walk, and Robert Newland was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The other run crossed the plate in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Alex Fenkell.
Pitching
Charlie Peterson (1-1) took the loss after allowing six runs on five hits and a walk. After Peterson got the first four outs, Gabe Sokol got the final two outs of the second inning.
Jaden Williams pitched the third inning, allowing three runs on five hits. Owen Schihl threw the next two innings, allowing one run on two hits.
Eric Sheppard took the sixth inning and did not allow a run with one strikeout. Ben Asmus, Clayton Kryszak, and Mason Clark all made their collegiate debuts in the seventh inning, allowing five runs (one earned) on two hits, a walk, and an error on the defense.
Hitting
David Stechow was 2-3 at the plate with a run, with Alex Fenkell, Tanner Hawkins, and Robert Newland collecting the three RBI.
STATISTICS
2B: Hawkins (4), Rodriguez (1)
3B: none
HR: none
RBI: Fenkell 2 (10), Bolton (11), Hawkins (9), Kelly (10), Mills (13), Newland (5), Rinehart (2)
SF: Stechow (2)
SB: none
BB: Mills 3 (15), DiDio (1), Hawkins (3), Leonard (4), Poeszat (5), Rinehart (2)
HBP: Newland 2 (11), Hawkins (1), Regan (1)
(Season Total)
Up Next
Kalamazoo will next play Colby on Monday, Mar. 25, in Davenport, Fla., beginning at 2 p.m.