Two seventh-inning rallies left the Hope College baseball team smiling in the Sunshine State.
The Flying Dutchmen swept a doubleheader from Penn State-Altoona, 6-3 and 10-9, on Saturday at Northeast Regional Park in Citrus Ridge, Florida — producing go-ahead runs during their final at-bat of each game.
Hope built on a 5-4 victory against 20th-ranked Rhodes College (Tennessee) on Friday, putting together a season-best three-game winning streak to begin the RussMatt Invitational.
The Flying Dutchmen are now 4-7 on the season heading into their next game on Monday, March 17, at 2:30 p.m. against No. 17 Rowan University back in Citrus Ridge.
"I think we're starting to play a little more freely and getting comfortable with what we're trying to do every day," head coach Ryan Dorow said. "We put some really good at-bats together all day. Our pitchers kept us in the game."
On Saturday, Hope completed the sweep by answering Penn State Altoona's two-run top of the seventh that evened the score at 9-9.
The Flying Dutchmen put all four runners on base during their at-bat.
Senior catcher Ben Stratman (Ann Arbor, Michigan / Pioneer) led off with a single. Pinch-hitter Nick Verduzco (Kalamazoo, Michigan / Hackett Catholic Prep) was hit by a pitch. Sophomore second baseman Elliott Peter (Zionsville, Indiana / Zionsville) loaded the bases after Penn State-Altoona misplayed his sacrifice bunt attempt.
One batter after Penn State-Altoona (5-9) misplayed a sacrifice attempt, junior right fielder Jace DeMann (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian) delivered a walkoff single down the left-field line to plate pinch-runner
DeMann laced an RBI single during a six-run first, a rally that propelled Hope to a 6-2 lead.
Peter joined DeMann with a team-best two RBIs against Penn State-Altoona (5-9).
Junior first baseman Cade Seabaugh (Ballwin, Missouri / Ladue Horton) and freshman designated hitter Colton Kinnie (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan / Birmingham Seaholm) scored two runs apiece. Seabaugh stole home in the second on a double steal.
Junior pitcher Nic Bender (Caledonia, Michigan / Caledonia) earned the decision by throwing three innings of two-run relief. One of the runs was unearned. The right-hander struck out two and walked one.
In the opener, Hope won behind a tiebreaking, three-run rally in the top of the seventh.
The Flying Dutchmen sent eight batters to the plate, beginning with Kinnie's leadoff double.
Four batters later, pinch-runner Gabe Starks (Fort Wayne, Indiana / Carroll) came home on Peter's one-out single. Peter finished the game with three hits and three RBIs, both team-highs.
DeMann then singled through the right side, bringing in Seabaugh. The next batter, Peter scored on a fielder's choice for freshman shortstop Carter Perry (Grand Rapids, Michigan / West Catholic).
Freshman relievers Aaron Pryce (Canton, Michigan / Salem) and Josiah Long (Newaygo, Michigan / Newaygo) combined to retire Penn State-Altoona in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Pryce claimed his first collegiate victory with three innings of one-hit, scoreless relief. Long recorded the final out with a strikeout for his first collegiate save.