CSR (Baseball Splits With Kzoo/Softball Swept By Saint Mary's)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR MARCH 30, 2009

Baseball Splits With Kalamazoo;
Softball Swept by Saint Mary's

BASEBALL
Calvin 13, Kalamazoo 1
Kalamazoo 10, Calvin 9

By Chaz Amidon
GRAND RAPIDS – The Knights routed Kalamazoo 13-1 in Monday’s opening game,
but the Hornets foiled Calvin’s final-inning comeback in Game Two as Jake
Hansen, a pinch hitter, had a walk-off single to give Kalamazoo a 10-9 win.

In the second frame of a doubleheader that was relocated to Calvin Field,
Calvin conjured a five-run seventh inning to even the score at 9-9 before
Hansen’s heroics lifted the Hornets to their first league win of the season.

“That seventh inning was great, but we waited way, way too late to have that
kind of focus and intensity we needed the entire game,” said Calvin coach
John Sparks.

Matt Schepel (Grand Rapids) led a Knights squad that batted a combined .366 in
both games, going 3-for-3 from the plate in Game One en route to driving in
four runs.

Chris Blacklidge (Comstock Park) went 3-for-6, Tyler Berger (Grand Rapids)
went 3-for-8, and six different Knights recorded multi-hit games throughout the
afternoon.

Berger and Nate Pocock (Wayland, Mass.) each knocked RBI doubles in the
seventh inning of Game Two, helping to erase a five-run deficit that was
previously built when Kalamazoo strung together eight unanswered runs over a
span of three innings.

“It shows a lot that we could manufacture that comeback,” said Blacklidge,
who leads Calvin with four homeruns. “We have some things to be positive
about but ultimately we’re pretty upset.”

In the bottom of the seventh, Brett Cavanaugh (Muskegon) allowed a single to
Kalamazoo’s David Kamerman, the eventual winning run, and walked Eddie
Barclay. Robbie Kool (Grand Rapids) replaced Cavanaugh out of the bullpen, and
faced just one batter – Hansen, who lined a single to shallow right field to
score Kamerman from second base.

Calvin tied the score at 9-9 in the top of the inning when Scott Tipton (Stow,
Ohio) had a sacrifice fly to right field to score Berger, but an infield error
sent Jason May (Chicago, Ill.) home when he originally halted at third base.

“We were pretty excited after that inning,” said Schepel. “We went out
there with a lot of confidence and to give it up after coming back is tough.
We’ve got to learn from it.”

Calvin claimed the season series against Kalamazoo, 3-1, and is 7-1 against
the Hornets throughout the past two seasons.

“Give credit to Kalamazoo,” said Sparks. “They’re a team that can come
out and swing it a little bit, and they did the second game. They were ready to
play despite getting beat the first game.”

The Knights’ offense erupted in Game One, engineering ten runs in the fourth
inning alone. Blacklidge, Calvin’s current batting leader (.463), poked a
pair of RBI-singles in the inning, Matt Dodrill (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) had a
two-RBI single, and Kalamazoo committed four costly errors – mostly infield
gaffes – that led to the Knights’ ten-run stretch.

“We’re having some trouble in the early innings getting going,” said
Sparks. “We have to find a way to get runs early. If we can do that, we’ll
be okay. We’ll have those moments of greatness where we explode for runs, but
we need the consistency.”

Calvin was 15-for-39 (.385) in Game One, where Schepel and Jake Van Alten
(Douglas) each totaled three hits.

“We hit well today,” said Schepel. “We came up big in a few clutch
situations, especially in that last inning. They handed us a few runs, too, and
there’s always room for improvement.”

Keith Spoelstra (Oakland, N.J.) picked up his first win of the year in Game
One. He pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowed just one run and struck out seven. Adam
Van Opstall (Grandville) and Cavanaugh each pitched in relief.

Cavanaugh was handed the loss in Game Two, but it was Zach Thomas (Bradenton,
Fla.) who lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his second start this season. Jeff
Groenwold (Chicago, Ill.) and Van Opstall threw for a combined 1 2/3 innings in
relief.

Calvin will now host Hope on Thursday (April 2) before heading to Holland on
Saturday (April 4) to wrap up its season series with the Dutch. The Knights
(6-8, 3-1) are currently tied with Adrian for first place in the MIAA.

SOFTBALL
Saint Mary's 8, Calvin 0
Saint Mary's 3, Calvin 2

KENTWOOD, MI -- Visiting Saint Mary's swept a doubleheader from Calvin on
Monday afternoon at Gainey Field, defeating the Knights 8-0 and 3-2. Monday's
twinbill served as the conference openers for both Calvin and Saint Mary's.

In game one, Saint Mary's (16-2, 2-0 MIAA) rapped out 15 hits and scored six
runs in the first two innings to take control. Monica Palicki (7-2) went the
distance in a game limited to five innings because of the mercy-rule, striking
out one and walking one.

Calvin was limited to just two hits with freshman Marie Prins (Unity Christian
HS) and senior Brittany Moriarity (Muskegon Mona Shores HS) collecting one hit
apiece. Senior Kristin Folkerts (Grand Rapids Christian HS) took the loss for
Calvin, striking out two and walking one.

In game two, Calvin (2-11 overall, 0-2 MIAA) outhit Saint Mary's 7-5 but left
seven runners on base. Saint Mary's scored the game-winning run on a two-out
RBI single by Cathy Kurczak in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Saint Mary's scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead
but the Knights were able to tie the game in dramatic fashion as junior Whisper
Miller (Reed City HS) delivered a two-out, two-run RBI doule in the top of the
seventh that plated sophomore Jacqueline Kirkman (Oregon, OH) and freshman Kim
VandenAkker (Grand Rapids Christian HS) with Kirkman reaching base on a walk
and VandenAkker reaching base on an error.

In the bottom of the seventh, Hayley Bojorquez reached base on a lead-off
single for Saint Mary's, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and after a
ground-out, scored on a single up the millde by Kurczak.

Junior Mandy Johnson (Northpointe Christian HS) took the loss for Calvin.
Miller went 3-for-4 at the plate in game two for the Knights while Prins,
Moriarity, Kirkman and senior Jenn VandenAkker (Grand Rapids Christian HS) also
had hits.

Angela Gillis (9-0) was the winning pitcher for Saint Mary's.

Calvin returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Trine University for
a 3:30 p.m. conference doubleheader.

Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Mon Mar 30 21:35:43 2009