HOLLAND, Mich. - The Calvin University baseball team split its doubleheader at Hope College on Friday, losing game one 3-2 before winning game two 9-7.

Game 1

The Knights came back from a two-run deficit, but the Flying Dutchmen took game one 3-2 on a walk-off hit.

Hope (18-17, 10-8 MIAA) jumped in front early with a run in the first inning and added a second run in the fourth, but Calvin (17-18, 8-9 MIAA) starting pitcher Ian Doyle (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grandville) pitched his way through trouble to keep the Flying Dutchmen lead at 2-0 after five.

The Calvin bats started to get going in the sixth inning, when Patrick Gillen (Jensen Beach, Fla./Jensen Beach) scored Carson Warners (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) with an RBI groundout to cut the deficit in half, and James Ross (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) pitched three scoreless innings in relief to hold the score at 2-1 heading into the ninth.

In the final inning, Will Mueller (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) led off with a double, and after moving to third on a sacrifice bunt, tied the game on a Warners' sacrifice fly. Hope would answer in the ninth, however, as Robbie Stuursma hit a one-out triple, and came in to score the winning run on a single from Owen Krizan after two intentional walks loaded the bases.

Ross (0-2) took the loss after allowing the one run in 3.1 innings of relief. Gabe Bonemer (Okemos, Mich./Okemos) led the Calvin offense with four hits and reached base five times.

Game 2

The Calvin bats came to life in game two to secure a Friday split with a 9-7 win.

The game went back and forth early, as the Knights answered Hope's one run in the opening inning off starting pitcher Alex Owen (St. Johns, Mich./St. Johns) with four runs in the third and one more in the fourth. Gillen, Matt Raymond (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy), Caden Penn (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North) and Ryan Brown (Caledonia, Mich./Caledonia) each drove in one run in the big third inning, while Gillen's RBI double in the fourth inning scored Warners from second base to give the Knights a 5-1 lead.

Hope answered with three runs of its own in the fourth inning to cut the Calvin lead to one, but the Knights had one more big inning in them with four runs in the top of the eighth inning to break the game open. Warners once again led off the rally with a single, while both GIllen and Brown hit doubles in the inning. 

Evan Steinbacher (Sparta, Mich./Sparta) entered the game in relief in the fourth inning and walked the first batter he faced, but retired the next 12 hitters in order as he threw four innings of both scoreless and hitless ball in relief to improve to 2-0 on the season. Ben Ferguson (Grandville, Mich./Grandville) pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Nolan Coil (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) was able to secure the final three outs to complete the win.

Gillen led the Knights at the plate with four hits (including two doubles), two runs scored and two RBI. Warners scored three runs, while Bonemer and Brown each finished with two hits apiece.

COACH'S COMMENT: "Two great baseball games," Calvin head baseball coach Kevin Van Duyn said. "Both were well pitched and had great defense. I'm very proud of our guys' effort and resiliency. We went on the road and battled for 18 straight innings."

NEXT UP: Calvin baseball will return to action on Monday, May 1, when it hosts Alma College in a single game scheduled to start at 4:00 PM.