The Hope College baseball team broke open a close game with a seven-run uprising in the sixth inning Tuesday to take a 15-5, seven-inning victory over Kalamazoo College at Boeve Stadium to move into sole possession of first place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Hope's win, combined with Adrian College's 22-14 loss at Trine University on Tuesday, moved the Flying Dutchmen one game ahead of the Bulldogs in the MIAA standings at 6-2 in league play. Hope is 15-6 overall.
Hope hosts Adrian at noon on Wednesday, April 20, at Boeve Stadium, beginning with the completion of a game that was suspended April 8 with the score tied at 4-4 in the eighth inning. A regualary-scheduled doubleheader will follow.
On Tuesday, The Hornets battled back from an early 4-0 deficit to cut the Hope lead to 7-5 in the sixth before the Flying Dutchmen took advantage of wildness by Kalamazoo pitchers to break the game open. Hope capitalized on four walks, two wild pitches and a balk during the seven-run rally.
Senior designated hitter Spencer Cable of Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville HS) drew a bases-loaded walk for the first run of the inning, one of four walks Cable drew in the game. Senior center fielder Evan Maday of Grand Rapids, Michigan (East Kentwood HS) drove in the next run as he was safe on a fielder's choice. Senior right fielder Kainan Bayn of Zeeland, Michigan (Zeeland East) followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 10-5.
Cable then scored on a groundout by senior shortstop Brant Kym of Libertyville, Illinois (Libertyville). Maday scored on a wild pitch, Bayn scored on a balk, and junior second baseman Nolan Gardner of Grand Rapids, Michigan (East Grand Rapids HS) finished off the outburst as he scored on another wild pitch, boosting the Hope lead to 14-5.
The Flying Dutchmen tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh to activate the 10-run rule as Bayn's single plated freshman third baseman Al Money of Midland, Michigan (Midland).
Hope collected 13 hits and received 14 walks off seven Kalamazoo pitchers for the game.
Kym went 3-for-5 with a team-high four RBIs. Bayn reached base six times in the game on two singles, a double and three walks, scoring two runs and knocking in two more.
Money went 3-for-5 with three runs scored.
Maday belted his fifth home run of the season and 17th of his career, finishing the day with three RBIs and three runs scored.
Senior righthander Sean Hoey of Holland, Michigan (West Ottawa) picked up the pitching victory, improving to a perfect 5-0 on the season. He allowed five hits and three earned runs in five innings, striking out eight and walking two.
Sophomore righthander Reece Crabtree of Reynoldsburg, Ohio (Reynoldsburg) hurled the final two innings, allowing three hits and one run.