Britons win opening game in Florida

Britons win opening game in Florida

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Andrew Arszulowicz hit a two-run single as Albion College tacked on three insurance runs in the seventh to take a 7-2 victory over Grove City (Pa.) College in its first spring break game in Florida.

Grove City threatened Albion's 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh. Colton Lineman and Travis Auth started the inning with back-to-back singles. The Wolverines had runners at the corners with one out after Briton center fielder Riley Stesiak hauled in a fly ball by Tanner Orner. Drew Weaver, making his collegiate pitching debut for the Britons, wiggled out of the jam by getting Micah Burke to roll a ground ball to second baseman Kellan Huang to start a double play.

Weaver gave Albion a quality start, yielding two runs on eight hits and two walks over eight innings. He struck out five.

Tristan Ellis struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth to close out the victory.

Albion led all the way, starting with Stesiak's leadoff homerun in the first inning.

Albion played small ball to add a run in the second. Dylan Perry hit a leadoff single. He advanced to second on Matt Bur's sacrifice, to third Joe Turnbull's groundout, and scored on Drew Olszewski's bunt single.

Perry drew a one out walk in the fourth and scored on Turnbull's sacrifice bunt.

Arszulowicz had Albion's fifth-inning RBI. He singled sending Sean Haddlesey in to score.

Steasiak, Haddlesey, Arszulowicz, Bur and Olszewski all finished with two hits for the Britons.

MIAA Players of the Week

Haddlesey and Huang represent Albion College as the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Baseball Players of the Week for March 4.

A first-year outfielder from Ann Arbor, Haddlesey is the Position Player of the Week after hitting .500 (6-for-12) in a three-game series against 23rd-ranked Franklin College last weekend. He collected three hits and three runs batted in during the Britons 12-2 victory in the final game of the series.

Huang, a sophomore who prepped at Saline High School, is the Pitcher of the Week after working five innings as Albion scored a 12-2 victory over Franklin last Saturday. He allowed a run on two hits and three walks while recording a career-high six strikeouts.

On Deck

Albion has a 9 a.m. Tuesday game against Ohio Northern University in Auburndale, Fla.

Twitter: @BritonsBaseball