Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Tom Renner
The Hope College baseball team split a home conference baseball doubleheader Friday, edging visiting Alma 8-7 in the opener, but bowing in the nightcap, 12-5.
It was the beginning of a four-game weekend series between the teams. It resumes Saturday with a doubleheader at Alma beginning at 1 p.m.
With the split, Hope slipped to 3-6 in MIAA games and is 10-11 overall. The Flying Dutchmen are half-a-game out of fourth place in the MIAA standings.
In the opener, the Flying Dutchmen came from behind three times. The game-winning hit was a two-run sixth-inning double from Joey Merucci (Northville Township, Michigan/Catholic Central), pictured, scoring Robbie Stuursma (Grand Rapids, Michigan/East Grand Rapids) and Brant Kym (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville).
Six different players had a hit for the Dutchmen. Kym had a pair of RBIs.
Jake Van Dam (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) gained the pitching victory in relief (1-1), holding Alma hitless over the final 1 2/3 innings.
In the nightcap, the teams were tied 1-1 after two innings. Alma (10-10, 5-3 MIAA) scored five times in the third to go ahead 6-1.
Hope answered with three runs in the bottom of the third highlighted by Spencer Cable's two-run homer, but Alma responded with a six-run fifth.
Cable (Hudsonville, Michigan/Hudsonville) and Cal Barrett (Chelsea, Michigan/Chelsea) each recorded two hits. Evan Maday (Grand Rapids, Michigan/East Kentwood), Merucci, Kym and Cable all doubled.
Maday was credited with four stolen bases in the doubleheader, raising his season total to 24. Entering Friday's action, he was ranked second in stolen bases in the NCAA Division III.
