KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team began a weekend series with a home doubleheader against Olivet, with an 8-14 win in game one and a 10-5 loss in game two on Saturday (Apr. 27). The Hornets' record now stand at 24-9 (12-5 MIAA) on the season, and the Comets now have a record of 9-25 (3-14 MIAA). Kalamazoo sits half of a game back from Alma in second for the conference season standings, as the Scots have a 13-5 MIAA record.
GAME ONE
Scoring Plays
After Olivet scored the first run on a sacrifice fly in the second inning, Kalamazoo crossed the plate four times to take a three-run lead in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Liam Regan and Cooper Mills put runners on first and third with two singles. Harrison Poeszat brought in Regan on the third consecutive single, and then Ryar Rinehart doubled down the left field line to score Mills. David Stechow hit a single right back up the middle for two RBI.
The Comets got a run back in the third on an RBI single, but the Hornets extended the lead to four as Mills singled to the left-center gap, with Lukas Bolton and Logan Lockhart scoring. Olivet battled back to tie the game at six in the fifth with another RBI single and a three-run home run to right field.
Kalamazoo grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the inning as a hit-by-pitch and a walk turned into runs on a Mills sacrifice fly and a Poeszat double to the left-center gap. It was the Comets' turn in the sixth as an unearned run was scored on an error. The Hornets created some distance in the seventh inning by grabbing a 12-7 lead. Another double by Poeszat brought in Mills, and then Robert Newland lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Poeszat after he moved up on a flyout. A Tanner Hawkins double scored Stechow after a pitch hit him, and Bolton brought in Hawkins on an RBI single.
An RBI groundout by Olivet brought in one run in the eighth before Kalamazoo scored the final two runs in the bottom of the inning. Mills doubled down the left field line to bring in Alex Fenkell, who was hit by a pitch and stole second beforehand. Poeszat finished a successful first game with another RBI single to plate Mills.
Pitching
Jacob Davis lasted 4.1 innings in his start, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. Owen Schihl (3-1) threw the next 1.1 innings and received the win after allowing just one unearned run.
Brenden Oprinski got one out in the sixth and pitched the seventh and eighth innings, surrendering one run on three hits with five strikeouts. Reece Omodio threw the final scoreless frame with two strikeouts.
Hitting
Harrison Poeszat was 5-6 in game one with two doubles, four RBI, and two runs scored. Cooper Mills also drove in four runs after going 4-5 with a double and scoring three runs.
Robert Newland went 2-4 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. David Stechow had a hit, two RBI, and two steals. Ryar Rinehart, Tanner Hawkins, and Lukas Bolton each had an RBI.
GAME TWO
Scoring Plays
Olivet jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game two with two runs in the first and one in the second. Kalamazoo tied the game at three with two runs in the second and one in the third. The Hornets drew four walks in the second inning and turned two into runs on an Alex Fenkell single and a Cooper Mills bases-loaded walk. Back-to-back singles with two outs by Robert Newland and Tanner Hawkins (RBI) scored the run in the third.
The Comets quickly regained the lead in the fourth after a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and a grand slam for an 8-3 lead. Kalamazoo tried to start chipping away with a run in the fifth on a Hawkins sacrifice fly. Newland doubled and then stole third to set up the opportunity. The Hornets got another run back in the seventh after Alex DiDio reached on a fielder's choice, which allowed Hawkins to score after a pitch hit three straight batters.
Unfortunately, Olivet scored two more runs in the eighth inning to take the wind out of the Hornets' sails in the comeback attempt. Kalamazoo left 11 runners on base in the five-run defeat.
Pitching
Logan Lockhart (0-1) suffered the loss after lasting three innings and facing two batters in the fourth. He allowed five runs on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts. Blake Parpart tied to get the Hornets out of the jam in the fourth but could only record two outs and allowed three runs on three hits and a walk. Owen Schihl made his second appearance of the day and recorded the last out of the fourth inning.
After working efficiently in game one, Reece Omodio also made his second appearance of the day and threw 3.1 scoreless innings with two hits, a walk, and two strikeouts. Kaden Sotomayor got one out in the eighth but allowed two unearned runs on a hit, a walk, and an error. Chase Cummins got the last out in the eighth and threw a scoreless ninth with three strikeouts.
Hitting
Robert Newland had the lone two-hit game for Kalamazoo with a double, a walk, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. Tanner Hawkins collected two RBI on a single and a sacrifice fly. Cooper Mills had a hit, an RBI, and a walk. Lukas Bolton drew two walks, with Alex Fenkell and Alex DiDio collecting the other two RBI.
Statistics
2B: Poeszat 2 (15), Hawkins (11), Mills (5), Newland (12), Rinehart (3)
3B: none
HR: none
RBI: Mills 5 (25), Poeszat 4 (51), Hawkins 3 (17), Stechow 2 (20), Bolton (24), DiDio (4), Fenkell (15), Newland (17), Rinehart (24)
Sac Fly: Hawkins (2), Mills (2), Newland (3)
Sac Bunt: Fenkell 2 (5), Stechow (8)
SB: Newland 3 (24), Stechow 3 (13), Fenkell 2 (8), Bolton (7), Leonard (1)
BB: Bolton 2 (11), Newland 2 (13), Rinehart 2 (16), Kelly (11), Lockhart (10), Mills (31), Stechow (8)
HBP: Bolton 3 (14), Hawkins 2 (7), Stechow 2 (13), Fenkell 2 (8)
(Season Total)
Up Next
Kalamazoo will finish the weekend series with a road doubleheader at Olivet on Sunday, Apr. 28. The first game is scheduled to be a nine-inning MIAA contest, with the second being a seven-inning non-conference game, beginning at 1 p.m.