GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Calvin University baseball team lost a high-scoring, back-and-forth game against Alma College 17-12 on Wednesday.
Alma (14-11, 4-3 MIAA) looked poised to run away with the game early thanks to an eight-run third inning that gave the Scots a comfortable 9-1 lead, but Calvin (13-13, 4-4 MIAA) started to battle back in the bottom half of the third with a pair of runs on a single from
Caden Penn (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North).
Trailing 9-3 after four innings, the Knights roared all the way back thanks to a nine-run fifth frame to take a 12-9 lead. The first seven Calvin hitters reached base in the inning as Penn started the scoring with another two-run double, followed by RBI-singles from
Logan Nelson (Fremont, Mich./Fremont) and
Josh Winkle (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian). After an error kept the inning alive,
Patrick Gillen (Jensen Beach, Mich./Jensen Beach) capped the scoring with a three-run home run to right center to put the Knights in front by three runs.
The Scots scored once in the sixth inning, and then added four more runs in the seventh to take a 15-12 lead.
Calvin threatened with two runners on in the seventh, but a double play helped end the threat, and Alma added two insurance runs in the ninth inning to help secure the win.
Calvin finished the game with 12 hits, with Gillen leading the charge with four hits and three runs batted in on his 10th home run of the season. Penn added three hits and four RBI, while Nelson and Winkle each finished with two hits.
Ryan Brown (Caledonia, Mich./Caledonia) scored three times in the game.
Matt Reynolds (Hopkins, Mich./Hopkins) started the game and went 2.1 innings.
Ian Doyle (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grandville) fell to 1-3 on the season in relief.
NEXT UP: Calvin baseball returns to action on Friday, April 12, when it hosts Trine University for the start of a three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 PM.
