April 24, 2010

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ADRIAN, Mich. - The baseball team took three of four this weekend against Hope as the two teams split on Saturday at Nicolay Field in Adrian. The Bulldogs came from behind in the bottom of the sixth for a 6-4 win in game one and then dropped a 3-2 decision in game two behind a strong pitching performance by Hope's Adam Clements.

The Bulldogs trailed 4-2 going into the bottom of the sixth in game one and scored four times against starter Robby Poll (6-1). Brian Bilius led off with a single and Alex Cowart followed with another single up the middle to start the rally. The Hope defense let them down at that point as Steve Vanderheyden reached on a fielding error to load the bases with one out. Jake Cappelletty tied the game with a two-RBI single to right as Cowart just slid under the tag at home with the fourth run. Vanderheyden was caught in a rundown between third and home on the play and was tagged out as Cappelletty went to second.

Andrew DeLuca hit a grounder to first and the ball went between the legs of Pete Zessin as Cappelletty came all the way from second to score the eventual winning run. With DeLuca on second, Joe Dubina singled to left for an RBI which gave Adrian a two-run cushion. Andrew Geese (3-1) went the distance for the Bulldogs to get the win. He allowed five hits and just one earned run. He walked two and struck out two in a 90-pitch outing. Poll went six innings and struck out five for Hope. Bilius was 2-for-3 as was Cowart for Adrian. Neither team had an extra base hit in game one.

The Bulldogs had their 14-game MIAA win streak snapped in game two by the score of 3-2. Clements pitched a tough game for Hope improving to 3-2 this season. He went 6.1 innings and allowed seven hits and two earned runs. He walked two and struck out six in a 104-pitch effort. Jordan Carrigan got the final two outs for his sixth save.

David Partyka (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season on the mound. He went seven innings and allowed six hits and three earned runs. The big hit for Hope was a two-run homer by Drew Carmody in the fourth inning which gave Hope a 3-2 lead. Adrian scored their two runs in the bottom of the first as Nate Sarkissian had a two-RBI double down the left field line.

Adrian had the tying run on first base in the bottom of the seventh as Bilius had a one-out single up the middle. Jeff Dobos entered as a pinch runner and then Carrigan came into the game. He got a huge out as Cowart struck out looking on a 2-2 pitch and then got Sarkissian to fly out to shallow left.

Adrian (23-9, 17-3) has a four-game lead in the conference standings after today as Hope and now Albion are both 13-7 in the MIAA. The Britons took four games this weekend against Kalamazoo. The Bulldogs and Britons will play a four-game series beginning on Thursday at Nicolay Field with first pitch of the doubleheader set for 4:00 p.m.