AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Calvin University baseball team was unable to hold leads late in both games of a doubleheader against Wartburg College in a pair of defeats on Saturday at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.
Calvin (3-3) dropped the opener 4-3 before Wartburg (7-3) came back to win game two 5-3.
Game 1
Wartburg opened the doubleheader with a walk-off 4-3 win over the Knights with three runs in its final at bat.
Calvin started strong as
Ryan Tschirhart (Clinton, Mich./Clinton) singled home
Gabe Bonemer (Okemos, Mich./Okemos) and then came around to score on an RBI-double from
Landon Evans (Richland, Mich./Gull Lake) to give the Knights a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
The Knights added another run in second inning on a Wartburg throwing error to go up 3-0 before Wartburg answered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the second to cut the lead to 3-1.
Starting pitcher
Drew Diehl (Lansing, Mich./Lansing Catholic Central) held onto that lead for 5.1 innings, allowing just the one run on four hits while striking out four before
Ben Ferguson (Grandville, Mich./Grandville) entered in relief and helped the Knights out of a jam to send the game into the seventh inning with Calvin still leading 3-1.
In the final Wartburg at bat in the bottom of the seventh, Wartburg loaded the bases on a hit batter, an error and walk.
Ethan DeBlecourt (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian/Spring Arbor) came on in relief hoping to close the game out, but Wartburg recorded three straight bases-loaded singles to score three runs and earn the win.
Ferguson (1-1) took the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) in 0.2 innings. Bonemer led Calvin with two hits.
Game 2
Wartburg earned the doubleheader sweep thanks to another late rally to overcome a deficit to win game two 5-3.
Landon Mikula (St. Johns, Mich./St. Johns) put Calvin on the board to start the game in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI-groundout that scored Bonemer from third base, and that lead would stick through three innings as starting pitcher
Noah Etnyre (Northville, Mich./Plymouth Christian Academy) worked out of several jams to keep Wartburg scoreless through three innings.
Wartburg finally scratched a run across of Etnyre in the fourth and then added another in the fifth to take a 2-1 lead, but Calvin answered with two runs in the fifth on a single from Tschirhart and an error to take a 3-2 lead into the sixth inning.
The lead would be short-lived, however, as Wartburg scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning thanks to three walks, two hit batters and two wild pitches, and then held Calvin scoreless over the final two innings to get the win.
Etnyre pitched five innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out four.
Austin Caracci (Aurora, Ill./Oswego East) took the loss after allowing three runs in the sixth inning.
Bonemer led Calvin with two hits and two runs scored to go with a stolen base.
COACH'S COMMENT: "Disappointing day, but credit to Wartburg," Calvin head coach
Joel Schipper said. "We did some good things and got two strong starting pitching efforts but couldn't find a way to finish either game. Tomorrow is a good time for an off day to get some rest before getting back at it on Monday."
NEXT UP: Calvin baseball returns to action on Monday, March 9, when it plays Washington and Jefferson College in a doubleheader at 10:45 AM.
