OBERLIN, Ohio – The Kalamazoo College baseball team finished a sweep of Oberlin College Monday, winning a nail-biter, 8-7.
The Hornets scored in both of the first two innings off solo shots by Robert Newland and Alex Fenkell. Kalamazoo ripped off four runs with two outs in the top of the third inning on a pair of two-run homers by Ryar Rinehart and Fenkell.
Oberlin responded with a solo home run in the bottom half to make it 6-1. The Yeomen added two more runs in the fifth to cut the gap to 6-3.
Two more home runs by Oberlin tightened things up to 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh. Cam Kelly answered with a solo bomb of his own, followed by an RBI double for Rinehart to bring the lead back up to 8-5.
Oberlin scored twice again in the bottom of the eighth, but Cole Bronoel-Cutthrell left the bases loaded to hold onto the lead. Jacob Davis then threw a 1-2-3 ninth for the save in his first relief appearance of the season.
Kalamazoo outhit the Yeomen 14-12 in the victory.
Newland led the Hornets with four hits in the game, scoring three runs. Rinehart picked up three hits, while Fenkell's pair of home runs highlighted the offensive performance, as they both finished with three RBIs.
Caleb Moore also collected two hits and scored a run. Parker Aten (2-0) earned the win on the mound with two scoreless innings of work, allowing two hits and one walk.
Kalamazoo is heading to Florida for its spring break trip next week. The Hornets (11-2) will take on UMass Dartmouth (2-6) at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 19 in Winter Haven, Fla.
