ADRIAN, Mich. – The Adrian College baseball team played probably their best ball of the season and picked a great time to do it in a 17-1 win over Kalamazoo in the first game of the 2014 MIAA Tournament on Wednesday night at Nicolay Field. The top-seeded Bulldogs (28-13) scored a season-high in runs and pounded out 15 hits including five extra-base hits against five Hornet (17-24) pitchers. Kalamazoo yielded 13 earned runs as Adrian jumped all over starter Dylan Pierce who did not record an out in the first inning. Pierce looked up at the scoreboard having given up seven runs (four earned) in just 21 pitches. The first eight batters reached base in the first as Sam Fischer had a two-run single followed by a two-run single by R.J. Rios. Dakota Cararo also had a RBI double down the left field line in the inning and Ben Yax had a RBI groundout.

Brent Greenwood (5-3) got the ball for Adrian and was dialed in from the first pitch. He went six innings and allowed just two hits with no walks and a pair of punchouts. Josh Richardson threw two scoreless relief innings allowing a hit with a strikeout.

Adrian scored four runs in the fourth inning off Ty Rock for the Hornets. Dan Heatherly hit his second home run of the season, a grand slam over the left field wall, in the frame. It was the third grand slam for Adrian this season. It was Heatherly's first home run since March 19 against Siena Heights. The Bulldogs tacked on three more runs in the fifth inning. Fischer collected his third RBI of the game on a single and Drew Shutes hit a two-run double (13) to give Adrian a 15-0 lead.

Cararo hit his second double of the night in the sixth and later came around to score on a groundout by Travis Potter. The Bulldogs ended their scoring in the eighth on a rare play. Corleone Desimone hit a line drive towards center field and Mario Ferrini made a dive at the ball which went all the way to the wall. Desimone raced all the way home for the inside-the-park homer which is his first four-bagger of the year. MIAA Position Player of the Year Ryan Dorow went 2-for-5 at the plate and scored three runs. Mitch Stefanski scored four times and drew two walks. Fischer went 2-for-4 and scored three runs. Rios finished 3-for-5 with a pair of runs and RBI.

The Bulldogs improved to 18-6 at home in 2014 and are now 11-5 against a lefty starter. After scoring seven runs in the first, the Bulldogs have now outscored their opponents 38-17 this season in the opening frame. AC also improved to 19-5 this season when they have scored first. Fischer tied his season-high with a six-game hitting streak. Adrian will now square off against Calvin tomorrow at noon after the Knights defeated Hope, 5-2, in Grand Rapids on Wednesday. Adrian is looking to turn around things on the Knights after dropping three of four last weekend to end the regular season.