CKSR ( Baseball Splits Season Ending Doubleheader With Alma - Hits 20-Win Plateau for Third Time in Four Years)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 7, 2011

Baseball Splits Season Ending Doubleheader With Alma - Hits 20-Win Plateau for Third Time in Four Years

BASEBALL
Alma 4, Calvin 3
Calvin 7, Alma 4

ALMA - Calvin closed out its season with a doubleheader split at Alma Saturday afternoon, falling in the opener 4-3 before coming back in the nightcap to win 7-4. The doubleheader split clinches at least third place in the final MIAA standings for the Knights who finish 20-20 overall and 15-13 in the MIAA. Calvin's 20-win total marks the third time in four years that the Knights have hit the 20-win mark and also marks the seventh 20-win campaign in school history and the third 20-win campaign under fourth-year head coach John Sparks.

In game one, Alma (15-25), 14-14 MIAA) grabbed a 3-1 lead through two innings of play. Calvin came back to tie the game 3-3 with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth as the Knights used a walk, an error, a wild pitch and a hit by junior Jake Van Alten (Holland/Holland Christian HS) to score twice. Alma came right back in the bottom half of the frame to retake the lead, using two hits and a wild pitch to score against Calvin starter Joe Lambers (Grosse Pointe/Grosse Pointe South HS).

Calvin was able to place only one runner aboard over the next two innings as Alma starter Sam Shipman was able to gain the complete-game victory to even his season record at 4-4. Lambers took the loss for Calvin to dip to 2-4 on the year. Calvin had four hits in the loss including two off the bat of Van Alten.

In game two, Calvin snapped a six-game losing streak by erupting for 10 hits including three by sophomore Tyler Tos (Walnut Creek, CA/Berean Christian HS) and two by Van Alten. Calvin erased a two-run deficit with four runs in the top of the fourth using run-scoring singles from freshman Trent Zwiers (Grandville/Calvin Christian HS), Tos and VanAlten to take a 4-2 lead. Calvin then added three important insurance runs in the sixth as sophomore Ben Cok (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) belted a two-run RBI single and later scored himself on a double steal that involved sophomore David Noorman (Jenison/Covenant Christian HS).

Alma pushed across two runs in the bottom of the sixth but senior Derick Vargas (Hialeah, FL/American Senior HS) was able to close the door on the Scots by pitching a scoreless seventh inning frame. Freshman Grant VanderWall (Wyoming/South Christian HS) picked up the win for the Knights to bump his season record to 4-2. VanderWall struck out three and walked two in six innings of work.

Saturday's doubleheader concludes the collegiate careers of Calvin seniors Derick Vargas, Andrew Bosma (Holland/Holland Christian HS), Jeff Groenewold (Chicago, IL/Timothy Christian HS), Peter Steiner (Chicago, IL/Glenbrook South HS) and Keith Spoelstra (Oakland, NJ/Eastern Christian HS).

MIAA BASEBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 5-7-11 GAMES

Adrian 23-2
Hope 14-10
Calvin 15-13
Alma 14-14
Albion 12-14
Trine 10-16
Kalamazoo 10-17
Olivet 7-19

CALVIN 20-WIN SEASONS

1996 - 22-16
2000 - 22-16-1
2001 - 21-16
2002- 28-13
2008 - 32-10
2009 - 23-17
2011 - 20-20
Received on Sat May 7 19:51:18 2011