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Box Score 2 ALMA – The Calvin baseball team moved into third place in the MIAA standings with a doubleheader sweep at Alma College Friday afternoon as the Knights won by scores of 6-1 and 8-0.
Calvin is now 13-15 overall and 10-8 in the MIAA, a game ahead of fourth place Hope.
In game one, Calvin received another sterling pitching performance by senior Nate Schepers (Holland/Holland Christian HS) as the lefthander tossed his fourth complete-game victory of the season to run his season record to 4-1. Schepers scattered five hits, struck out five and walked one in seven innings of work without allowing an earned run.
Calvin took a 2-0 lead on a two-run RBI double by freshman Nate DeZwaan in the second and added another run in the third on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Patrick Avila (Lakewood, CA/Valley Christian HS) in the third.
Playing on his 20th birthday, Avila delivered another sacrifice fly in the fifth to give the Knights a 4-0 lead and then delivered a run-scoring single in the seventh as did senior Ben Wohl (Canton/Plymouth HS).
Alma scored its lone run in the bottom of the seventh as an error to open the inning eventually led to a run.
Senior Peter Cupery (Holland/Holland Christian HS) went 2-for-3 and scored a run in the win while Avila had three RBI's.
Calvin's pitching staff proved to be stingier in game two as four Calvin pitchers combined to shutout the Scots (14-16, 5-13 MIAA).
Calvin rapped out nine hits and used four Alma errors to cruise to the 8-0 win. Avila went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in while Cupery had two doubles, two runs batted in and a pair of runs scored.
Senior Grant VanPutten (Holland/Holland Christian HS) also collected his 200th collegiate hit – a single in the sixth inning – to become the first player in Calvin baseball history to reach that milestone.
Cupery went the first three innings on the mound before giving way to senior Ben Guilfoyle (Romeoville, IL/Plainfield East) who tossed two shutout innings and was credited with his fourth victory of the season. Senior Austin Juza (St. Joseph/Lake Michigan Catholic HS) and junior Kyle Wasserberger (Spring Lake/Spring Lake HS) also tossed shutout innings in relief to close out the win.
Calvin will resume its series with Alma on Monday when it hosts the Scots in a doubleheader at Calvin at 2 p.m.
