WHEATON, Ill. - The Calvin University baseball team salvaged a doubleheader split against Concordia (Minn.) with a 7-6 walk off win in game two at the Wheaton Invitational on Friday. The Knights dropped the opener to the Cobbers 12-0.

Game 1

Concordia scored in five of their six chances at the plate on the way to a 12-0 win in game one.

Not much went right for the Knights in the opener, as the Cobbers scored one run in each of the first three innings, and then added seven more in the fourth inning to put the game away.

Connor Comiskey (Shelby Township, Mich./Lutheran North) fell to 1-3 on the season after allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and three walks in three-plus innings. 

At the plate, Calvin finished with six hits, with six different players recording one hit apiece. 

Game 2

The Knights fell behind 5-0 in game two before coming from behind to walk off the Cobbers in a 7-6 win.

Trailing 5-0 early, the Knights got themselves back in the game with three runs in the fourth inning. Calvin got on the board with a wild pitch, followed by a two-run double from Carter Penn (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North) to cut the deficit to 5-3.

The Cobbers added one run in the sixth to push their lead to 6-3 heading into the seventh frame. The Knights loaded the bases with no outs in their final chance at bat, and Patrick Gillen (Jensen Beach, Fla./Jensen Beach) started the scoring by lining into a fielder's choice to score Gabe Bonemer (Okemos, Mich./Okemos).

After a Matt Raymond (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) walk re-loaded the bases, Nate Mason (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern) lined a double down the right field line with two outs, scoring Ryan Brown (Caledonia, Mich./Caledonia), Matt Reynolds (Hopkins, Mich./Hopkins) and Raymond to push the Knights in front and win the game.

Mason's game-winning hit completed a three-hit game in which he scored one run and drove in three. Raymond led Calvin with two runs scored.

Ben Ferguson (Grandville, Mich./Grandville) pitched a scoreless inning in relief with one strikeout to earn the win and improve to 1-0 on the season. 

Calvin moved to 8-9 on the season with the split, while Concordia is now 6-10.

COACH'S COMMENT: "It was no secret we didn't have our best today, but I'm proud of the ways we fought and battled," Calvin head baseball coach Kevin Van Duyn said. "We preach to the guys to stay in the moment and play until the last out, and that's what they did today. Great relief pitching from Evan Steinbacher, Kyle Pretzer and Ben Ferguson to keep us close and give a shot at the end. Quality at bats the last inning led us up to Nate Mason's bases clearing doubles to win game two."

NEXT UP: Calvin baseball will return to action at the Wheaton Invitational tomorrow (Saturday, March 25) when it plays host Wheaton College in a single game scheduled to start at 3:00 PM.