CKSR (Baseball Sweeps Four-Game Series From Trine to Clinch Spot in MIAA Tournament / Emily Cefaratti Named MIAA Women's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR APRIL 27, 2015

Baseball Sweeps Four-Game Series From Trine to Clinch Spot in MIAA Tournament;
Emily Cefaratti Named MIAA Women's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week

BASEBALL
Calvin 8, Trine 7
Calvin 7, Trine 2

ANGOLA, Ind. - The Calvin baseball team swept a conference doubleheader at Trine University Monday afternoon and in the process clinched a spot in next week's MIAA Tournament and also extended its win streak to eight games.

The Knights (19-15 overall) are now 16-8 in league play and in sole possession of second place in the MIAA standings, one game ahead of third place Kalamazoo (15-9).

Calvin opened Monday's twinbill with an 8-7 win over the host Thunder and then took game two by a 7-2 count. The twinbill sweep completed a four-game series sweep of Trine. Over the four-game series, Calvin hit .413 against the Thunder pitching staff led by seniors Grant VanPutten (Holland/Holland Christian HS ) and Peter Cupery (Holland/Holland Christian HS). VanPutten went 11-for-15 (.733) in the series including 5-for-8 on Monday. Cupery went 4-for-8 in Monday's doubleheader with a home run.

VanPutten also sparkled in centerfield, making a circus catch in both games Monday to help limit the Trine offensive output.

Senior lefthander Nate Schepers (Holland/Holland Christian HS) picked up the win in game one, tossing 5.2 innings before giving way to senior Austin Juza (St. Joseph/Lake Michigan Catholic HS) and junior Kyle Wasserberger (Spring Lake/Spring Lake HS). Juza got the final out of the sixth inning, stranding runners on first and third with two outs. Wasserberger then tossed a one-two-three seventh to pick up his second save of the year.

Schepers (5-1) was able to survive a rocky third inning when the Thunder scored four times to take a 5-2 lead. Calvin fought back with a six-run outburst in the fifth inning to take an 8-5 lead. VanPutten, junior Jordan VanderWall (Wyoming/South Christian HS) and Cupery all had run scoring singles in the inning while sophomore Colton Wolfe (Eaton Rapids/Eaton Rapids HS) had an RBI double. Freshman Nate DeZwaan (Holland/Holland Christian HS) also had a two-run RBI single in the inning.

Trine pushed across two runs in the bottom of the sixth to close within one before Juza and Wasserberger were able to slam the door in the in relief.

In game two, Calvin scored four runs in the third, two in the sixth and one in the seventh as part of a 10-hit attack.

VanPutten went 3-for-4 in the win while Cupery belted his second home run of the year, a solo shot to centerfield in the seventh. Wolfe, DeZwaan and senior Ben Wohl (Canton/Plymouth HS) all had doubles in the victory.

Freshman Mike Wierenga (Lombard, IL/Timothy Christian HS) went five innings to pick up his first collegiate victory. Freshman Ryan Stewart (Detroit/Parkway Christian HS) tossed two innings of shutout relief, retiring all six batters he faced including three on strikeouts.

"We are peaking at the right time," said Calvin baseball coach John Rypel. "In game one Nate Schepers wasn't as sharp as he normally is but like a veteran he battled and gave us a chance to win. This is a very confident lineup and if one guy struggles someone else is there to pick up the slack. We know our lineup will be in for a challenge when we face Adrian's pitching staff later this weekend. Adrian has one of the top staffs in our region and will present our team a challenge but challenges are why you play the game of baseball and we are having fun playing the game right now."

Calvin will travel to Wheaton (IL) for a non-conference game Tuesday night at 6 p.m. (EDT). The Knights will then open up a four-game weekend series with Adrian beginning with a doubleheader at Adrian on Friday. The Knights will then host the Bulldogs for two more games on Saturday at 1 p.m.

WOMEN'S LACROSSE

WOMEN'S LACROSSE

FREELAND, Mich. - The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has named Calvin attacker Emily Cefaratti its Offensive Player of the Week in women's lacrosse for games played through April 26.
Cefaratti, a sophomore from Hinsdale, Ill. (Hinsdale Central HS), scored 19 goals and totaled 22 points for the week in leading the Knights to three consecutive wins that clinched their first MIAA women's lacrosse championship.

She also scooped up 11 ground balls and caused three turnovers for the week. She scored eight goals and added five ground balls in a 16-9 win over Kalamazoo, and had seven goals, an assist, three ground balls and a caused turnover in a 15-5 victory over Adrian that secured the outright MIAA title for Calvin.

Cefaratti is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time this season and in her career.

Calvin will host an MIAA Tournament semifinal game against Olivet Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Zuidema Field. There is no admission charge to the game.
Received on Mon Apr 27 21:21:35 2015