GRANVILLE, Ohio– The Kalamazoo College baseball team survived a late rally by SUNY Cortland Saturday in the NCAA III Regionals, hosted by Denison University, winning 7-6. The Hornets advance to Championship Sunday and the Regional Final for the first time in program history.
Logan Lockhart made the first highlight of the game, throwing out a runner at the plate from right field to end the first inning and keep the game scoreless. In the top of the third, Robert Newland singled to score Alex Fenkell and put the Hornets on the board first.
Cortland answered with one run in the bottom half. Henry Donohoe hit a two-RBI single to put Kalamazoo back on top during a three-run fourth inning before the Red Dragons scored two in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-3.
The Hornets scored two insurance runs in the sixth to push the lead to 6-3 as Donohoe and Newland got on base to lead off the inning, and both came around to score. Kalamazoo scored again in the seventh, but Cortland answered with two in the bottom half to make it 7-5.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Red Dragons scored on a leadoff home run but Cole Bronoel-Cuthrell bore down and got the last three outs to earn the save, the first of his collegiate career, striking out four batters over the final 2 2/3 innings.
Newland had three hits, three stolen bases, and two RBIs in the win. Fenkell scored twice on a walk and two hit by pitch.
Jacob Davis got the start on the mound, going 2 1/3 innings, allowing one run with two strikeouts. Robert Ahlgren (6-2) earned the win with 3 2/3 innings following Davis, allowing four runs (two earned) with four strikeouts.
Earlier on Saturday, the Hornets beat Grinnell College in an elimination game, 10-4, behind four runs driven in by Lockhart and six strong innings on the mound from Carson Orvis. The full recap is available HERE.
Kalamazoo will face the host #1 Denison in the Regional Championship on Sunday. The first game will be at noon, with the Hornets needing to beat the Big Red twice to claim the Regional.
