Hope baseball battles Trine

The Dutchmen faced-off against Trine University in two sets of double-headers

This past weekend, Hope College baseball battled it out with Trine University in two doubleheaders. The Dutchmen faced them on the road on Friday and then battled them at home again on Saturday. The Flying Dutchmen were, unfortunately, unable to bring home a win on the road but bounced back to win both games at home on Saturday. After the weekend, the Dutchmen improved to 19-13 overall and 12-8 in conference play, but the two-game loss sets them back in the MIAA standings. Adrian currently leads the league with a 24-8 record overall and 17-3 in the conference with Kalamazoo falling just behind with a 22-8 record overall and 14-6 in the conference. Trine improved to 16-13 overall and 10-10 in the conference this weekend to trail behind Hope in games and standing.

On Friday, both games ended in a loss and the Dutchmen were outhit 15-11 with a 22-2 loss. Trine was able to get 20 runs within the first four innings. Trine went 4-6 in the first two innings before Hope got their first run in the top of the third off of a double. Mason Opple (’20) was able to hit in Danny Carrasco (’18). However, the Dutchmen were not able to score again until the last inning after Trine had already scored 22 runs.

Despite the losses, Tanner Gilmore (’19) was able to snag his fifth home run on the season in the second game. The hit gave him two RBIs after Carrasco got on base before. In the top of the fourth, Carrasco doubled to left field and gave Hope another run. At this point, Hope still trailed 3-5 after Trine had a four-run inning in the second. At the top of the fifth Nick Lepore (’19) doubled to right center and gave the Dutchmen another RBI. Michael Barnett (’18) singled in the top of the sixth and Carrasco was able to score. Unfortunately, the game ended with a 5-10 loss after Trine scored two more in the seventh. Trine held the lead into the top of the ninth when the game ended.

Things got better for the Flying Dutchmen on Saturday, however, when they were able to come up with two big wins. Hope was able to squeeze out a 4-2 win against Trine in the first game. Trine batted first and managed to get one RBI, but Hope came back with a three RBI inning. JP Batts (’17) hit a single which allowed Jordon Fairchild (’19) to score. Carrasco reached on a fielder’s choice as well in the bottom of the first and allowed Landon Brower (’18) and Opple to score. Fairchild also smacked a single to center field in the bottom of the fourth allowing Trace Slancik (’20) to score. Trine was able to score another in the fifth, but Hope held Trine for the rest of the game at 4-2.

In game two of the day, Hope was able to post an even stronger game, scoring 15 runs and holding Trine to seven. The game was close going into the seventh with Trine at six runs and Hope at seven. Opple brought in Fairchild on a single to left field in the bottom of the first. Lepore doubled in the second to allow Slancik to score, and Carrasco also doubled to score Opple. Both teams managed to score four runs in the fourth inning. Opple doubled to bat in Fairchild, Batts doubled to score both Brower and Opple, and Carrasco doubled to score Batts. Trine snuck in a grounder in the top of the seventh to tie up the score 7-7 going into the bottom of the seventh.

Hope had a big inning scoring seven much needed runs to win them the game. Lepore started it out with a double to center. Fairchild and Drew Lunsford (’20) both scored. A fielding error allowed Brower’s single to score Brad Kotenko (’19). Gilmore doubled to left and batted in Brower and Opple. Slancik then doubled to center to score Gilmore and Carrasco. The inning ended with Hope ahead 14-7. Trine didn’t score after the seventh, but Hope was able to grab one more run in the eighth when Opple hit a fly to center to score Fairchild.

The men host Albion College this Thursday in a double header. Games start at 2 and 4:30 p.m.

Additionally, the community also mourns the sudden loss this past week of former outfielder, Drew Carmody (’11) who was a former first-team All-MIAA player.