GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Calvin University baseball team lost both games of its doubleheader against Albion College on Friday to complete its three-game series.
Albion (16-19, 8-10 MIAA) came from behind to win the opening game 8-7, and then took the second game from Calvin (16-20, 7-11 MIAA) 8-4.
Game 1
The Knights jumped out to a 7-1 early lead, but the Britons came from behind to take the opening game 8-7.
Calvin looked to be in control early thanks to a six-run third inning.
Patrick Gillen (Jensen Beach, Fla./Jensen Beach) started the scoring with an RBI-single, followed by a two-run single by
Caden Penn (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North). After an Albion error led to a Calvin run,
Will Mueller (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) hit a two-run single to push the Knights ahead 6-0.
After the teams traded runs in the fifth, the Britons got back in the game with a five-run sixth inning off three different Calvin pitchers.
Evan Steinbacher (Sparta, Mich./Sparta) completed five scoreless frames to start the game for the Knights but started to struggle with his command before giving way to relievers
Matt Reynolds (Hopkins, Mich./Hopkins) and
Ben Ferguson (Grandville, Mich./Grandville).
The Knights still held a one-run lead after seven, but the Britons took an 8-7 lead on a two-run home run by Evan Schuster off reliever
Kyle Koning (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) in the top of the eighth inning.
Calvin had opportunities late, but left the bases loaded in both the seventh and eighth innings as Albion held on for the win.
Steinbacher finished the day allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and one walk in five-plus innings. Koning (0-2) took the loss with one inning in relief.
Gillen,
Nate Mason (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern),
Aidan Jaworowski (Zeeland, Mich./Zeeland East) and Mueller each finished with two hits for Calvin.
Game 2
The Britons completed the doubleheader sweep thanks with an 8-4 win in game two.
In a reverse of game one, it was Albion that jumped out to a 7-0 lead as it knocked Calvin starter
Ian Schuster (Howell, Mich./Hartland) out of the game in the second inning. The Britons scored once in the first inning, four more times in the second, and added one run in both the third and fourth frames to take the early lead.
Calvin had opportunities to cut into the deficit and got on the board with a
Ryan Brown (Caledonia, Mich./Caledonia) single in the fourth, and then added a run in the fifth on a Mueller walk with the bases loaded.
The Britons tacked on a run in the sixth, but the Knights scored twice in the seventh to cut the deficit to 8-4 before a double play ended a bases-loaded threat.
That would be all the Calvin offense could muster, however, as the Britons held on late to secure the win.
The Knights threatened in a number of innings offensively but left 14 runners on base and saw two innings end on double plays.
Schuster (2-3) took the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits in 1.2 innings.
Brown led the offensive effort with three hits and two RBI.
Ryan Schummer (West Lafayette, Ind./Central Catholic) and Mueller each finished with two hits.
NEXT UP: Calvin baseball is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday, April 30, when it hosts Aquinas College in a game starting at 4:00 PM.
