GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Calvin University baseball team backed up its Friday come-from-behind win over Trine University with a doubleheader split on Saturday. The Knights won the opener 8-4 before falling 13-9 in game two.

Game 1

The Knights jumped in front early and never looked back on the way to an 8-4 win in game one.

Calvin (15-16, 7-7 MIAA) scored twice in the opening inning on an RBI-groundout by Caden Penn (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North) and an RBI-single from Matt Raymond (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy), and answered a Trine (14-19, 5-10 MIAA) run in the third with another RBI from Penn to take a 3-1 lead.

After Carson Warners (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) and Nate Mason (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern) added two more runs in the fourth inning, Patrick Gillen (Jensen Beach, Fla./Jensen Beach) put the game away with a two-run home run to right field to extend the lead. The home run was Gillen's team-leading fifth of the season.

That would be more than enough offense for the Ryley Reynolds (Meridian, Miss./Russell Charter Academy), who started the game and pitched the first 6.0 innings, allowing only one run on five hits as he improved to 4-0 on the season. James Ross (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) and Evan Steinbacher (Sparta, Mich./Sparta) pitched the final three innings in relief to help close the game.

Mason led the Calvin offense with three hits, while Warners added two hits, two runs and one stolen base. Penn drove in three runs in his five at bats. 

Game 2

The Knights were unable to hold onto an early lead as Trine came from behind to take game two 13-9.

Calvin scored at least one run in each of the first three innings, with Penn hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to help the Knights to a 5-3 lead after five innings.

The Thunder would respond, however, with six runs in the sixth inning, taking advantage of four hits, one walk and one hit batter as they took a 9-5 lead.

The Knights answered with two runs in the sixth and one in both the seventh and eighth innings, but the Knights could not keep Trine off the board as the Thunder scored twice in the seventh, once in the eighth and once more in the ninth to help secure the win.

Both teams finished with 15 hits in the game, with Gillen going 4-5 with two runs scored and one RBI to lead Calvin. Raymond added three hits, while Penn finished with two hits and two RBI.

Ian Doyle (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grandville) pitched the first five innings and allowed five runs on seven hits while striking out six. Fletcher Bandstra (Schererville, Ind./Illiana Christian) fell to 0-1 in relief after allowing two runs on one hit and one walk.

NEXT UP: Calvin baseball will return to action on Tuesday, April 25, when it plays at Aquinas in a single game at Meijer Field in Rockford, Mich. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 PM.