HOLLAND, Mich. – The Alma College baseball team competed against Hope College on the road for the second half of their conference series on Saturday, April 6th. The Scots were defeated in both games of the doubleheader at Hope by final scores of 8-5 and 12-0.
In game one, Alma fell behind to the Flying Dutchmen early as the first batter for Hope took the ball over the fence for a 1-0 lead, Alma answered back in the top of the second with Alexander Kavalick knocking a double to center field and advancing to third after a single by Tony Smith. Brant Goodpaster would collect the first Alma RBI with a ground out to third, though Kavalick raced home and tied the game for the Scots. Hope retook the lead back in the bottom of the second on another home run, their second of the game. The Flying Dutchmen added another three runs in the bottom of the third, increasing their lead to four.
The fourth saw the Scots cut into the Hope lead as Kavalick and Smith both singled to opposite sides of the field. Several batters later, Kavalick would be batted in off a single by Mitch Foley to right field, bringing the Scots within three. An additional run by Hope in the fifth put the Flying Dutchmen back up by four, before the Alma bats got going in the sixth. Kavalick led the inning off with a double which was followed up by Smith with another double, scoring Kavalick on the play. Foley then singled to the pitcher and advanced Foley to third, putting runners on the corners. A Kyler Warren line out during the next at bat would be enough to score Smith across home plate on the play, cutting the Hope lead down to two. Hope though would again stretch their lead back out in the bottom of the inning with two more runs to put them at eight for the game. The Scots put together one last push in the eighth as Foley doubled to left field and stole third during the next at bat, before being drove in by a Warren single, giving Alma their fifth and final run of game one.
Cole Grunwald started in the mound for Alma for 3.1 innings, recording six strikeouts before being relieved by Ken Fistler. Chase Balhoff, Davin Reif and Brendan McManus all came in for relief in the first game as well, combining for three strikeouts as well.
Game two was all hope from start to finish as the Flying Dutchmen were able to shut out the Scots for the first time this season, and putting up 12 runs in seven innings to round out the game. Colin Czajkowski started game two for Alma, going for four innings and recording four of the Scots five strikeouts for the game. Josh West, Blake Stone and Ryan Koob all saw action on the mound as well.
Alma will host Calvin University on Monday, April 8th at 4:00 PM, rescheduled from earlier the prior week, looking to rebound from the weekend series.
