KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team defeated Hope 18-12 at Woodworth Field on Monday.
Hope led 4-0 after the top of the second before Kalamazoo tied it with four runs in the bottom of the second. Hope regained the lead with a run in the third only to see Kalamazoo score three in the bottom half to go up 7-5. Another Hope run in the top of the fourth made it 7-6 before Kalamazoo responded again with four in the bottom half. Hope scored four in the top of the fifth to make it 11-10 before Kalamazoo scored another three in the bottom half. Hope made it 14-12 with two in the top of the seventh. Kalamazoo scored two more in the bottom of the seventh and bottom of the eighth to make it 18-12.
Kalamazoo outhit Hope 15-14 in the game. Eight of Kalamazoo's hits went for extra bases. The Hornets also took advantage of six walks and five hit-batters.
Ryar Rinehart led the Hornets offensively with five hits in six at-bats. Rinehart had two doubles and two home runs, tying his own single season record with 10 home runs. He also broke the school record with nine RBIs in the game.
Cooper Mills,
David Stechow,
Tanner Hawkins and
Liam Regan each had two hits.
Hawkins had a double and a triple. Mills and
Cade Preissing each had a double.
Mills, Hawkins and Preissing each drove in two runs.
Reece Omodio picked up the win in relief.
Owen Schihl earned the save with three strikeouts over the final 4.2 innings.
Kalamazoo has now won the first two games of the series. The Hornets are scheduled to complete the series with a single game at Hope on Wednesday, April 16, at 4 p.m.
