GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Calvin University baseball team saw its comeback attempt from a big early deficit come up short in the final inning of an 8-7 loss to Alma College on Wednesday.

Calvin (17-19, 8-10) fell behind 7-0 early, as Alma (18-18-1, 13-5) scored twice in the first inning, once in the third, and then added four more runs in the fourth.

The Knights started to get the offense going in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-run single by Dylan Williams (Cedar Springs, Mich./Cedar Springs), and then answered a run by the Scots in the fifth inning with an RBI-single by Nate Mason (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern) that scored Matt Raymond (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) to cut the deficit to 8-3.

Calvin continued to peck away with an RBI-groundout from Patrick Gillen (Jensen Beach, Fla./Jensen Beach) in the sixth inning, and then cut the deficit to 8-7 thanks to a three-run Gillen home run in the eighth. Gabe Bonemer (Okemos, Mich./Okemos) and Carson Warners (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) scored on the home run, which was Gillen's team-leading sixth of the season.

The Knights threatened in the ninth inning, as Will Mueller (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) and Carter Penn (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North) reached base with a pair of singles with one out, but the Scots were able to turn a double play to end the rally and the game.

Ian Doyle (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grandville) started the game and fell to 3-5 on the season after allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits in three-plus innings of work. The Calvin bullpen did a good job of limiting the damage down the stretch, as Evan Steinbacher (Sparta, Mich./Sparta), Ryley Reynolds (Meridian, Miss./Russell Charter Academy) and James Ross (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) combined to throw four shutout innings with only one hit allowed over the final four frames.

Gillen, Raymond and Mason each finished with two hits apiece, while Gillen added four RBI and one run scored. 

NEXT UP: Calvin baseball will return to action on Friday, May 5, when it hosts Albion College for the start of the final series of the regular season. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 PM, with senior day festivities taking place right before the start of the game.