GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Calvin University baseball team opened MIAA play with a doubleheader sweep of The University of Olivet on Friday.
Calvin (11-9, 2-0 MIAA) won the opener 12-2 in seven innings thanks to the 10-run rule, and then finished off the sweep with a 7-5 win in game two.
Game 1
The Knights got off to a great start and never looked back in a 12-2 win in seven innings in game one.
Calvin took control early with a five-run second inning, capped by a two-run home run by
Nate Mason (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern) as the Knights took advantage of two errors by the Comets that led to all five runs being unearned.
After the Knights added a run in each of the fourth and fifth innings, Olivet finally got on the board with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning off Calvin starting pitcher
Nolan Coil (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) to cut the Calvin lead to 7-2.
With a five-run lead after six, the Knights put the game away with five runs in the seventh to reach the 10-run rule after seven.
Patrick Gillen (Jensen Beach, Fla./Jensen Beach) started the scoring with an RBI-single, and
Matt Reynolds (Hopkins, Mich./Hopkins) ended the game by taking home plate on a double steal.
Coil (3-1) earned the win after pitching 6.0 innings and allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out three.
Gillen finished 3-4 with four RBI while Mason finished drove in three.
Ryan Brown (Caledonia, Mich./Caledonia) reached base four times and scored three runs.
Game 2
Calvin pitched its way through several late jams to hold off Olivet for a 7-5 win to complete the sweep.
Both starting pitchers were in control to start, with the Knights finally pushing two runs across the plate in the top of the fourth inning thanks to good team at bats.
Caden Penn (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North) started the scoring with an RBI-groundout, and
Ryan Schummer (West Lafayette, Ind./Central Catholic) followed with a sacrifice fly to put Calvin ahead 2-0.
Josh Winkle (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) extended Calvin's lead to 4-0 in the top of the sixth inning with a two-run double, but the Comets responded by scratching a pair of runs on the board against Calvin starting pitcher
Evan Steinbacher (Sparta, Mich./Sparta).
The teams traded two runs apiece in the seventh inning, and the Knights added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI-double from
Carter Penn (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North) to take a 7-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
After pitching a scoreless eighth inning,
Levi Suter (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) allowed one run in the ninth before stranding the bases loaded to close out the win.
Steinbacher (3-3) allowed only two runs on three hits while striking out six in 5.2 innings to earn the win. Suter pitched two innings and allowed one run to earn his first save of the season.
Gillen and Winkle each finished with three hits to lead the offense, while
Caden Penn and
Carter Penn each drove in two.
NEXT UP: Calvin baseball returns to action tomorrow (Saturday, March 30) when it plays one game at Olivet scheduled to start at 1:00 PM.
