KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Albion College completed its first Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association baseball series of the season with 3-1 and 9-3 losses at Kalamazoo College.
Game One
Albion loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but it only managed one run when Riley Stesiak's ground ball was misplayed by the third baseman allowing Ronnie Williams to score.
Shane Lindemann singled and Jack Wyman walked to start the fifth inning, but the rally fizzled when the next batter was unable to lay down a sacrifice bunt and then the Britons hit into a double play.
Boosted by the momentum from keeping Albion from scoring in the top half of the inning, Kalamazoo rallied for two runs. The Hornets loaded the bases with no out as Mitch VanKoevering doubled and Connor Grant and Alex Fultz drew walks. Andre Gard followed with a RBI single and David Kracht drove in a run with a ground ball to second base.
Albion reliever Andrew Fabry got out of the jam when second baseman James Spilko snared a line drive and threw to shortstop Joe Turnbull to complete the double play to end the inning.
Kalamazoo tacked on an insurance run on Grant's two-out single in the sixth.
Albion had the tying run on base with one out in the seventh – Justin Dennis hit a leadoff double down the right field line and Wyman walked – but Kalamazoo called on Ryan Orr to complete the save.
Albion starter Zach Maresh did not allow a hit through four innings, but he had traffic on the base paths by issuing a walk in each inning. The defense stepped up, turning a double play in each of the first three innings. Maresh allowed two runs on two hits and seven walks over 4.1 innings.
Game Two
Kalamazoo scored three runs in each of the first three innings to build a 9-1 lead. The Britons got two back in the eighth when Jordyn Finney drove a single to left field to score Dennis and Turnbull.
Patrick O'Brien pitched five shutout innings in relief, scattering four hits.
On Deck
Albion (7-8 overall, 0-4 MIAA) will travel to Alma College for a 1 o'clock Saturday doubleheader.
Get the latest information on the team by following @BritonsBaseball on Twitter. General athletics news can be found @gobrits on Twitter or Albion College Athletics on Facebook
