KALAMAZOO, Mich. – In the second to last home series of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular season, junior outfielder Andre Gard stole the show in the Kalamazoo College baseball team's first game of the doubleheader against Alma College hitting two home runs as the Hornets pulled out a 6-5 win in game one.
After K took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, Alma answered with three runs in the top of the second.
But K, led by Gard with a two-run shot to left center, matched the Scots in the bottom half with three runs, and again in the third inning, when each team scored two and Gard added his second round-tripper of the day with another two-run shot to left.
Ryan Orr battled to find a rhythm in the early-going, but once the Hornets secured a 6-5 lead after the third, he settled in allowing zero hits in his final four innings of work. He ended the day with a complete game, giving up five runs—four earned—while striking out eight.
Kalamazoo won the second game 6-2 after scoring in the first, third and sixth innings. The Hornets led 3-2 after four before putting the game away with three runs in the sixth. Only two Alma baserunners reached second over the final five innings.
Aaron Schwark struck out five over seven innings to earn his fourth win of the season. Steve Simmons and Scott Zychowski each pitched a scoreless inning to preserve the win.
Ryan Orr, Ian Kobernick, Connor Grant and Mitch VanKoevering each had two hits in the game. Kobernick had a double.
Kalamazoo and Alma are scheduled to complete the series with a doubleheader at Alma beginning at 12 p.m. on Saturday.