ADRIAN, Mich. – The Adrian College baseball team hosted a top-25 MIAA matchup on Saturday, splitting a doubleheader with No. 10 Kalamazoo College. The No. 23 Bulldogs claimed the opener 4-1 before the Hornets responded with a 13-8 win in game two.
Game 1 | Adrian 4, Kalamazoo 1
The Bulldogs and Hornets were locked in a scoreless pitchers' duel through seven innings before Adrian broke through in the bottom of the eighth.
Gabe Jones and Jake Burns each delivered RBI singles, while Rolando Jimenez added a two-run single to give the Bulldogs a 4-0 advantage. Kalamazoo scored its lone run in the ninth on an RBI single.
Adrian totaled eight hits in the win, led by Burns with three and Jimenez with two.
Landon Kozlowski turned in a strong start, throwing 7.1 scoreless innings while allowing six hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Parker Faris earned the win in relief after tossing 1.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits. Lincoln Lipinski recorded his second save of the season by closing out the ninth inning.
Game 2 | Kalamazoo 13, Adrian 8
Kalamazoo struck first with three runs in the opening inning before Adrian answered in the second. Burns launched a solo home run to center field, and Jimenez followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Bulldogs tied the game in the third when Christian Oliver drove in a run with a single.
The Hornets regained control with four runs in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth to build a 10-3 lead. Jaxon McGuigan singled home a run in the eighth, but Kalamazoo added three insurance runs in the ninth to extend the margin to 13-4.
Adrian mounted a late rally with five runs in the bottom of the ninth. McGuigan drew a bases-loaded walk, Logan Klotz ripped a two-run single, and Jimenez added another RBI single, but the comeback fell short.
The Bulldogs finished with 13 hits in game two, with Burns and Jimenez collecting two each.
Ambrose Horwath suffered his first loss of the season after allowing six runs on eight hits over 4.1 innings while striking out two.
Up Next
The Bulldogs and Hornets will meet again on Sunday in Kalamazoo to decide the series, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.