ADRIAN, Mich. - The Adrian College baseball team was swept by Hope on Tuesday afternoon (May 10) by the scores of 3-0 and 4-2 to end the regular season with an overall record of 31-9 and 24-4 in the MIAA. The ending was a sour note on an otherwise spectacular regular season for the Bulldogs. It was the first time that a MIAA team has swept a doubleheader at Nicolay Field since it was built in 2008.
The Bulldogs were shutout for the first time since Mar. 15, 2009 in game one. It was the first time they were shutout at Nicolay Field also and the streak spanned 116 games. Adrian managed four hits off Hope starter Adam Clements. Clements lost earlier in the season to the Bulldogs in Holland, but put together a strong performance with seven innings, no walks and seven strikeouts. The Bulldogs had their biggest threat in the bottom of the first inning but stranded the bases loaded. After Hope had built a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, Cody Meyer and Andrew DeLuca had back-to-back singles and stood on second and third. Jake Cappelletty was hit by a pitch with two outs to load the bases and the threat ended with a Nate Clark strikeout.
Hope scored three runs with two of them earned in the top of the first off starter Jason Fryman. Fryman saw Steve Lewis collect an RBI single with two outs and Eric Dawson followed with an RBI double which scored Colton Bodrie who reached on a walk. The third run scored on a throwing error in the inning. Fryman allowed just four hits over the final six innings, but could not get any run support as he fell to 4-1 on the season. He allowed seven hits total with a walk and four strikeouts. Brian Bilius collected his 200th career hit in game one. He doubled to left center in the sixth inning. Cappelletty also collected his 14th double of the season in the fourth inning.
Adrian jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one inning only to see the Flying Dutchmen scored four straight runs in game two. Meyer doubled to start the game and DeLuca was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Bilius drew a walk to load the bases and Nate Sarkissian had an RBI fielder's choice which scored Meyer as Bilius was out at second on the play. Cappelletty also had an RBI fielder's choice scoring DeLuca as Sarkissian was forced out at second.
Hope scored once in the second and third innings and added the go-ahead runs in the fourth off starter Josh Burd. With the game tied at 2-2 in the fourth, Lewis led off with a solo home run to left center, which proved to be the winning run. It was his third round-tripper of the season. Josh Kranz also had a sacrifice fly in the inning for the Flying Dutchmen. Burd took the loss (5-2) going seven innings and allowing seven hits, two earned runs and a walk. He also struck out four batters in a 90-pitch outing. Derek Fairchild (4-1) got the win for Hope pitching a complete-game, five-hitter with two earned runs, two walks and five strikeouts.
The Bulldogs will now await the 2011 NCAA Division III Tournament selections. It will be their fourth straight season in the NCAA Tournament.
