CSR (Baseball Takes Two from Albion)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR APRIL 30, 2008

Baseball Takes Two From Albion

BASEBALL
Calvin 12, Albion 3
Calvin 4, Albion 3

Junior left fielder Jacob Vriesman (Denver, CO/ Denver Christian) was bumped
from the leadoff spot yesterday against Aquinas at Fifth Third Ballpark.
Vriesman responded this afternoon in a double-header against Albion, going 4
for 6 with six RBIs and pair of runs scored to lead the Knights in a
doubleheader sweep over the fourth-place Britons.

“I’m really a first-pitch hitter, and I think [batting second] allows me
to take my time instead of sitting there and watching it,” said Vriesman,
whose monster performance comes on his 21st birthday.

Ranked 22nd in the most recent D3baseball.com Top 25 poll, Calvin (25-8
overall, 16-5 MIAA) kept pace with first-place Adrian (17-5), who swept a
double-header at Olivet and remain a half game behind the Bulldogs. The Knights
are in the midst of a stretch of ten games in nine days and will travel to
Albion on Friday for a double-header before hosting a make-up game against
Tri-State on Monday.

“They were two big wins at the end of the year,” said Vreisman, who was a
homerun short of the cycle in game one.

Calvin’s starting pitching was equally as impressive as Junior Nate Pocock
(7-1) (Wayland, MA/Wayland) pitched six innings of one-run ball, scattering
eight hits, walking one and striking out seven. Junior Kyle Cousins (6-1)
(Holland/Holland Christian) went the distance, allowing four hits, three runs,
one of which was earned, walked two while striking out five.

“I think the great thing about those two guys is that they’ve been
consistent all year,” said Vriesman. They haven’t had a bad start all year.
I’m really proud of those two guys, and happy for them.”

In game one (Calvin 12, Albion 3), Calvin chased Britons starter Ryan
Gunderson in the fifth, adding three runs in that inning to an already 4-0
lead. Brett Devereaux didn’t fare much better, surrendering five runs to the
Knights in the sixth. Calvin scored 12 runs on nine hits and two Albion
errors.

Vriesman was 3 for 4 with five RBIs and a run scored in the game, while
centerfielder Drew Johnson (Boise, ID/Mountain View) was 2 for 3 with two RBIs
and two runs scored and senior catcher Kyle Fletcher was 2 for 4 with a run
scored and two RBIs.

“Kyle and Drew have come up big during various times this year,” said
coach John Sparks. “They aren’t always the guys you expect to drive in runs
like that, but its always a bonus when they do.”

The Britons scored one run off of Pocock in the sixth and two runs off of
freshman Elijah Jentzen (Ypsilanti/Ypsilanti) in the seventh.

In game two, Vriesman continued his hot streak, sacrificing home sophomore
Kyle Gurzynski (Ludington/Ludington), Calvin’s new leadoff hitter, who led of
the first with a triple. Fletcher, who added two more RBIs in game two, doubled
home sophomore Matt Schepel (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian) who reached
on an error, one of three Albion errors in the game.

Schepel singled home Gurzynksi, who was 3 for 3 with two runs scored, to give
Calvin a 3-0 lead, but the Britons clawed back into it scoring two unearned
runs off of Cousins in the fourth and tied it when Bobby Clouse singled home
Abe Belanger in the fifth.

The Knights took the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning when
Vriesman hustled home on a Fletcher sacrifice fly. Cousins, who retired the
first nine batters he faced, stranded the tying run for Albion on third base in
the sixth and at first base in the seventh inning.

“I thought we came out really focused in the first game, hit a good pitcher,
one of the better pitchers in this conference,” said Sparks. “I thought our
first game was excellent, really. For whatever reason in the second game we
struggled. We got out early, got a couple runs then seemed to put it on cruise
control for a little bit. We’re still trying to figure out why we do
that.”

MIAA BASEBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 4-30-08

Adrian 17-5
Calvin 16-5
Olivet 13-9
Albion 11-15
Hope 8-12
Kalamazoo 8-12
Tri-State 8-15
Alma 6-14

Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Wed Apr 30 20:39:28 2008