KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team began a three-game series against Alma with a 12-5 win on senior night on Thursday (May 2). The Hornets' record improves to 27-9 (14-5 MIAA) on the season, and the Scots' record drops to 24-14 (13-6 MIAA). Kalamazoo took a one-game lead over Alma in the MIAA standings with two games to play.

Scoring Plays

Alma jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first with a leadoff home run and an unearned run on an RBI groundout. Kalamazoo would settle in and score eight runs in the third inning after sending 12 hitters to the plate. The Hornets collected six hits, were hit by a pitch twice, and walked once.

The first five batters reached on a Cam Kelly single, Lukas Bolton double, Cooper Mills single, Harrison Poeszat hit-by-pitch, and Ryar Rinehart walk. Mills and Rinehart collected an RBI each, and Mills scored on a wild pitch. After a pitch also hit Robert Newland, Tanner Hawkins brought in two on a single back to center field. In his second at-bat of the inning, Kelly laced a triple into the right-center gap for two RBI and then scored on a Bolton single.

Kalamazoo added another run in the fourth on an RBI single from Hawkins after another pitch hit Poeszat and Rinehart singled. The Hornets scored two runs in the fifth to take an 11-2 lead on a monster two-run home run by Rinehart down the left field line. 

The Scots got a run back in the sixth by scoring a run while Kalamazoo turned a double play. Bolton got the run back in the bottom of the inning with another RBI single by Bolton. Alma collected another two RBI singles in the seventh inning for the game's final two runs. 

Pitching

Jacob Davis (6-2) settled in after allowing two runs in the first and threw five more solid innings before allowing three more in the seventh. He allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits with two strikeouts.

Owen Schihl got the Hornets out of the jam in the seventh and got one out in the eighth. Brenden Oprinski threw the final 1.2 scoreless innings with a strikeout.

Hitting

Lukas Bolton was 3-3 with a double and two RBI. Ryar Rinehart had two hits with a home run and three RBI. Tanner Hawkins also had three RBI on two hits. 

Cam Kelly had two hits with a triple and two RBI, while Harrison Poeszat also collected two hits. Cooper Mills had one RBI.

Statistics

2B: Bolton (8)
3B: Kelly (1)
HR: Rinehart (6)
RBI: Hawkins 3 (22), Rinehart 3 (27), Bolton 2 (27), Kelly 2 (20), Mills (28)
Sac Fly: none
Sac Bunt: Lockhart (2)
SB: none
BB: Hawkins (21), Lockhart (11), Rinehart (19)
HBP: Newland 2 (21), Poeszat 2 (10), Bolton (16), Hawkins (10), Lockhart (4)
(Season Total)

Up Next

Kalamazoo has a chance to win back-to-back MIAA Championships in the road doubleheader at Alma on Saturday (May 4), beginning at 1 p.m.