April 18, 2009

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ADRIAN, Mich. - The Adrian College baseball team cruised to a 7-1 win in game one against Hope on Saturday at Nicolay Field and needed seven runs in the bottom of the sixth in the nightcap to claim an 11-5 win, which was their 17th consecutive victory dating back to March 22. The 17 straight wins extends their school record for consecutive wins and in the process keeps Adrian percentage points ahead in first place in the MIAA with a record of 17-1.

Josh Lancaster improved to 4-1 on the season and lowered his season ERA to 3.48 going seven innings and throwing 92 pitches including 60 strikes. Lancaster allowed just five singles and one unearned run in the top of the fourth. He walked three and struck out three and induced 12 flyball outs and six groundouts. Shawn Grose (1-2) threw six tough innings for Hope and allowed four earned runs and 10 hits. He did not walk a Bulldog and struck out three in a 103-pitch outing.

Adrian scored three runs in the third and fourth to build a 6-1 lead. Alex Cowart hit a ground rule double to right for two RBI in the third. Jake Cappelletty also had an RBI single through the right side of the infield with two outs in the third. Steve Vanderheyden doubled to right center to start the fourth and later scored on an Andrew Anderson RBI single to left with one out. Cowart added a two-RBI single through the left side of the infield in the fourth.

Cowart went 2-for-2 with four RBI's in game one and Anderson also had a multi-hit game for the Bulldogs going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Todd Meyers also collected a pair of singles in game one and scored twice.

The Bulldogs escaped with a win in game two but not before a nail-biter going into the bottom of the sixth. Adrian trailed 5-4 and erupted for seven runs to easy the fans' worries. Derek Fairchild had been holding off the Bulldogs just enough but his pitch count went above 100 in the sixth and he left the inning with runners on first and second with one out. Andrew Klinkman could not stop the onslaught as he got hit hard by the middle of Adrian's lineup.

Kris Powell had an RBI single to right center which tied the game at 5-5 and Cowart took the first pitch and drilled an opposite field three-run, game-winning home run giving him seven RBI's on the day and two long balls on the season. Hope then committed two errors which helped Adrian score the next three runs. Vanderheyden had a two-out RBI single up the middle and Klinkman was replaced by Michael Dekker. Dekker gave up a RBI double to Joe Dubina before Anderson flew out to center to end the inning.

Nick VanDike got the start for the Bulldogs but could not pitch out of the fourth. He threw three innings and allowed four hits and four walks. Dan Welch relieved VanDike in the fourth and induced two groundouts as Hope scored just one run after they had runners on second and third with one out.

Welch could not get out of the fifth however and exited for Jason Fryman with the bases loaded with one out. Alex Fryer had an infield single which made the score 5-3 but Fryman got Scott Snyder to foul out to catcher Joe Dubina and Dustin Wuis to groundout to first baseman Cappelletty. Fryman reaped the benefits of the big sixth inning improving to 1-0 and earning his first collegiate win. He ended with 2.2 innings and no earned runs with a walk and two strikeouts.

Cowart had a pair of doubles (13,14) and the home run in game two driving in three runs and scoring twice. Powell had a pair of RBI's and the bottom third of the order combined to go 4-for-10 with three runs scored and three RBI's. Adrian is now 23-7 overall and will look forward towards a four-game set against Calvin which begins on Friday, April 24 at home.