CALEDONIA, Mich.– The #8 Kalamazoo College baseball team held off Hope College Saturday at Davenport University, winning 9-7. 

The Hornets had the bats rocking from the start, scoring five runs in the top of the first. Hope scored one in the bottom half, but Kalamazoo got the run right back in the second to make it 6-1.

Robert Newland homered in the fourth to make it 7-1, but the Flying Dutchmen scored in each of the next four innings to tighten the gap to 9-7. Hope put the tying runners in scoring position in the eighth, but Owen Schihl got out of it with a strikeout and groundout to keep the lead intact.

Newland finished with three hits including the home run, stealing three bases and scoring three runs. Kieran Crossley drove in three runs on two hits.

Parker Aten (2-0) earned the win with two innings of relief work, allowing two runs and striking out two. Schihl picked up his third save of the season by closing out the final three innings, surrendering two runs and striking out one batter.

Kalamazoo (28-4, 12-2) returns home to face Calvin University (12-20, 3-10) Tuesday in a game postponed from last week at 4 p.m. at Woodworth Field.