KALAMAZOO, Mich. – After stealing two games against the d3baseball.com number six Kalamazoo College Hornets on Saturday for senior day, the Alma College baseball team traveled to Kalamazoo for the series finale on Sunday, April 26th. The Scots were able to pick up another huge win for regular season title chances along with adding another sweep on the season as they crept passed the Hornets by a final score of 7-6, once again.
The game's first run came from the Scots in the second inning as two errors and a single loaded up the bases for Alma. With Grady Pieratt stepping into the box, a four-pitch walk was ushered and sending across Kyler Warren, giving Alma a 1-0 lead.
The Scots doubled their lead in the third as Alexander Kavalick led the inning off with a walk. Brant Goodpaster followed with a single down the right field line, and advanced to second on an error, allowing for Kavalick to round third and score for a 2-0 lead.
The Hornets came right back and tied the game up with two runs in the bottom of the inning, a third of the way through the game. Kalamazoo was able to take their first lead of the game in the fourth, adding another two runs, putting Alma in the first deficit of the day.
Alma capitalized within the following three outs to again tie the game back up at fours. A Kavalick double led the charge, followed by a Goodpaster single, scoring Kavalick to pull within one. Goodpaster scored in the next at bat as Warren sent a ball down the left field line for another double, collecting an RBI and erasing the two-run deficit from a half inning ago.
Alma again took the lead in the sixth as Charlie Martyn wore a pitch to reach first, followed by back-to-back singles by Pieratt and Giuseppe Sapienza to load the bases. Kavalick added another RBI to his near-record breaking season total with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Martyn for a 5-4 lead. As all spectators would expect, the Hornets tied the game in the bottom of the inning, creating more drama heading down the stretch, with a 5-5 ball game after six.
The seventh saw Cole Grunwald enter the batting order and collecting his first hit of the game with a single towards shortstop. Martyn then cleaned the following at bat with a double down the left field line, scoring a racing Grunwald from first for the lead once again.
The Scots added another insurance run in the eighth, proving to be the game-winning run as Pieratt led the inning off with a walk and was then around the bases and back to the dugout with a double to left center field from Sapienza, putting Alma up 7-5, as the Hornets have six outs left. The final run of the game came from Kalamazoo in the bottom of the eighth as a single with the bases loaded, scored a run before a Hornets base runner was throw out after a collision at home plate, bringing the inning to an end. The Scots pitching staff would hold on to the one run lead in the ninth after letting some runners aboard, but a strikeout would seal the deal on a series sweep over the number six Hornets.
Cade Sutherland was the Scots starter for the series finale, pitching three and two-thirds and striking out three. Kaden Warren saw an inning and a third of action with a strikeout while Brady Sager added an additional inning with a K as well. Evan Litwiller made an appearance for an inning of work while Kenny Fistler picked up an inning and a third as well with another strikeout. Tyler Lasley picked up the final two outs, striking out one and picking up his first career save.
Alma will now return to action to close out the regular season with work to be done, and help needed to claim an MIAA Regular Season Championship. The Scots will face the Albion College Britons on Thursday, April 30th and Friday, May 1st, for a three-game series. The Scots will open the series at Klenk Park on Thursday, with a 4:00 PM first pitch.
