ADRIAN, Mich. – The Calvin University baseball team split its doubleheader at Adrian College on Saturday with the help of an extra-inning win in game one.
Calvin (15-17, 6-8 MIAA) won the opener 3-2 in 11 innings before losing game two to Adrian (19-11, 10-4 MIAA) by the final of 11-1.
Game 1
Three Calvin pitchers combined to allow only three hits in 11 innings to lead the Knights to a 3-2 win in extra innings.
After four scoreless innings, the Knights took a 2-0 lead thanks to RBI-singles from
Patrick Gillen (Jensen Beach, Fla./Jensen Beach) and
Nate Mason (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern) in the fifth inning.
Evan Steinbacher (Sparta, Mich./Sparta) was great for six scoreless innings until finally relenting a run in the top of the seventh, but
Kyle Koning (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) secured three outs in relief to take the Knights to the eighth inning with a one-run lead.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Bulldogs tied the game against Calvin reliever
Ian Schuster (Howell, Mich./Hartland) with a pair of hits, but saw the inning end on an attempted steal against Calvin catcher
Noah Etnyre (Northville, Mich./Plymouth Christian).
After scoreless ninth and 10th innings, the Knights loaded the bases on three consecutive singles in the 11th, and
Alex Owen (St. Johns, Mich./St. Johns) pushed Calvin ahead with a fielder's choice that scored
Matt Reynolds (Hopkins, Mich./Hopkins) before Schuster retired the Bulldogs in order in the bottom half of the inning to secure the win.
Steinbacher allowed only one run on one hit and five walks in six-plus innings, while Schuster (1-1) earned the win after allowing only two hits and one run in four relief innings. He retired the final 10 Adrian hitters of the game.
Gillen led Calvin at the plate with four hits in five at bats, while Mason added one hit and one walk.
Game 2
A nine-run fourth inning pushed the Bulldogs to an 11-1 win in game two.
Caden Penn (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North) hit a sacrifice fly to score
Ryan Brown (Caledonia, Mich./Caledonia) in the first inning to push the Knights ahead 1-0, but the Bulldogs tied the game at 1-1 with a run off Calvin starting pitcher
Ian Doyle (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grandville) in the second inning.
The score remained tied at 1-1 until the bottom of the fourth frame, when Adrian broke the game open with nine runs on five hits against three different Calvin pitchers. The Knights also hit three batters, walked one, and committed one error in the field in the inning to help the Bulldogs take control.
The Bulldogs would cruise from that point, adding one more run in the fifth on the way to the seven-inning win.
Doyle (1-4) took the loss after allowing four runs on three hits, two walks and three hit batters in three-plus innings.
Gillen finished a five-hit day at the plate by going 1-3 in game two. Brown,
Carter Penn (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North) and
Ryan Schummer (West Lafayette, Ind./Central Catholic) accounted for the other three hits.
NEXT UP: Calvin baseball returns to action on Thursday, April 25, when it travels to Albion for the start of a three-game series. First pitch of that game is scheduled for 4:00 PM.
