ALBION, Mich. - The Adrian College baseball team clinched its third straight MIAA Championship on Friday afternoon (Apr. 29) with a pair of one-run wins at Albion College. The Bulldogs are currently 28-6 overall and 21-1 in league play and have sealed up the hardware with six games still left in the regular season. Kalamazoo's two losses to Hope this afternoon coupled with Adrian's wins wrapped it up. The team will gain the league automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament and will likely play at Marietta College in the Mideast Regional from May 18-22. It is Adrian's sixth regional appearance in the last seven seasons. The Bulldogs are the first MIAA team since Hope from 1990-92 to win three straight outright championships.
The road to the title was not easy against Albion as the Bulldogs needed extra innings in a 5-4 game one win in eight innings. Albion jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings against Adrian starter Zach Robbins. Robbins was pulled in the third inning with one out and Rylie Robinson came in and did a great job in relief. Robinson went the rest of the way going 5.2 innings and allowing three hits and one earned run. He threw 86 pitches and walked four and striking out five Britons.
Mike Schypinski went the whole way for Albion going eight innings and throwing 125 pitches. Schypinski allowed eight hits and five earned runs with three walks and four strikeouts. Adrian climbed back into the contest with two runs in the fourth inning. Brian Bilius doubled down the left field line to start things off and Nate Sarkissian followed with an RBI double. Jake Cappelletty moved Sarkissian to third with a groundout to first. Michael Herzog delivered a two-out, RBI single up the middle to cut the lead to 3-2.
Adrian tied the game in the sixth inning with a run on two hits. Sarkissian led off with a single and Cappelletty sacrificed with a bunt to move Sarkissian to second. It was his second sacrifice bunt of the season. Sarkissian advanced to third on a balk and after a Nate Clark walk, Herzog had another big RBI single to tie it at 3-3.
Adrian scored twice in the top of the eighth to take a 5-3 lead. Cappelletty singled through the left side to start the inning. Ryan Sigler pinch ran for Cappelletty and stole second with one out. Herzog came through again with an RBI single and advanced to second on the play at the plate. Herzog took third on a wild pitch and then scored on another wild pitch to give Adrian a two-run lead.
Albion got one back in the bottom of the eighth as Anthony Moon led off with a walk and was lifted for pinch runner Taylor Garner. B.J. Konkle then had a one-out single to right moving Garner to third. Chad Gromek had a sacrifice fly with a foul pop in foul territory to cut the lead to 5-4. Konkle was forced out at second base on a fielder's choice by Chris Kruppe to end the game and give Adrian its 20th league win.
The Bulldogs squeaked out a 2-1 win in game two as Josh Burd went six strong innings to improve to 5-1 this season. He gave up six hits and one earned run to go with two walks. Lucas Willitzer entered the game in the seventh inning after Albion responded with a run. Nick Frank doubled to start the inning off Burd and Konkle reached on an error to put runners on the corners with no outs. Moon drove a double to left to score Frank and advance Konkle to third. Willitzer then inherited a second and third situation with no outs. Konkle was cut down at the plate on a grounder to third and both runners got themselves to second and third with one out. Then Willitzer shut the door by striking out Gromek swinging and Kruppe looking to end the game and give Adrian the title.
Cappelletty went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI's in game two. Herzog went 1-for-3 in game two after a 3-for-4 game one with three RBI's. Bilius went 2-for-2 in game two with a walk. He is hitting .417 along with Cappelletty this season.
