ANGOLA, Ind. - The Kalamazoo College baseball team began a three-game weekend series against Trine with a 15-2 win in seven innings on Friday (Apr. 19). The Hornets' record improved to 20-8 (9-4 MIAA) on the season, and the Thunder dropped to 10-20 (2-11 MIAA). This is the eighth time in program history that the Hornets have eclipsed 20 wins. Seven have come during current head coach Mike Ott's tenure, and the other was in 2006 with current Sports Information Director Steve Wideen at the helm.
Scoring Plays
Kalamazoo came out swinging with five runs in the first inning and another six in the second. Cooper Mills led off with a single in the first, and Harrison Poeszat brought him in on a two-run home run to left field. Singles by Ryar Rinehart and Tanner Hawkins put runners on first and third with one out, and Robert Newland brought in one with a single down the right field line. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position and Logan Lockhart delivered a double to center field for two RBI.
The second inning began with a Poeszat one-out walk as Rinehart drove him in on a two-run home run to left center for a 7-0 lead. A pitch hit David Stechow, and he eventually executed a double steal with Hawkins for the eighth run. Lockhart lifted a sacrifice fly to bring in Hawkins, and Lukas Bolton gained two RBI on a single that plated Newland (walk) and Alex Fenkell (hit by a pitch).
Rinehart smoked his second home run of the day over the center field fence for a solo shot in the third inning. Trine scored its only two runs of the game in the fourth on a sacrifice fly and a solo home run. The Hornets added another run in the fifth on Rinehart's third home run of the game. This solo shot to center field put Rinehart in elite company, becoming just the second Hornet to accomplish this along with Blake Bean (2022 at Manchester). Rinehart also drove in the two runs in the sixth on a single up the middle.
Pitching
Jacob Davis (5-2) threw his third complete game of the season, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
Hitting
Ryar Rinehart had a big day at the plate, finishing 5-5 with three home runs, four runs scored, and six RBI. Harrison Poeszat was on base three times with a home run and two walks, plus two RBI. Robert Newland also found his way on three times with two singles and a walk, while Cooper Mills had two singles and was hit by a pitch.
Lukas Bolton also had two hits, while Logan Lockhart had three RBI, Bolton had two, and Newland drove in one. Tanner Hawkins found his way on base twice with a hit and a walk.
Statistics
2B: Lockhart (6)
3B: none
HR: Rinehart 3 (5), Poeszat (6)
RBI: Rinehart 6 (23), Lockhart 3 (25), Bolton 2 (21), Poeszat 2 (46), Newland (15)
Sac Fly: Lockhart (3)
Sac Bunt: Fenkell (3)
SB: Newland 2 (15), Fenkell (6), Hawkins (2), Stechow (9)
BB: Poeszat 2 (11), Hawkins (15), Kelly (10), Newland (10), Rodriguez (1)
HBP: Fenkell (6), Mills (3), Schinker (2), Stechow (9)
(Season Total)
Up Next
Kalamazoo will continue the three-game series with a home doubleheader against Trine on Sunday, Apr. 21, beginning at 1 p.m.