by Alan Babbitt

The Hope College baseball team hit four home runs during 10-3 and 9-4 losses to Adrian College on Friday at Boeve Stadium.

The Flying Dutchmen (9-9 overall, 2-4 MIAA) conclude the weekend series on Saturday, April 10 with a 12 p.m. doubleheader at Adrian. First pitch was moved up one hour because of a rainy afternoon forecast there.

Hope homered three times during the second game.

Sophomore second baseman Nolan Gardner (Grand Rapids, Michigan/East Grand Rapids HS), pictured, smacked a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to tie the score at 2-2.

Adrian (17-5, 10-0 MIAA) went ahead with a three-run home run in the second inning, then tacked on two more runs in the fourth.

Hope received solo home runs from senior shortstop Brant Kym (Libertyville, Illinois/Libertyville) in the fourth inning and junior left fielder Kainan Bayn (Zeeland, Michigan/Zeeland East) in the sixth inning. The Flying Dutchmen were outhit, 12-6.

In Game 1, Hope grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a leadoff homer from junior right fielder Spencer Cable (Hudsonville, Michigan/Hudsonville).

Adrian went ahead with two runs in the third and three in the fourth. The Bulldogs slugged a solo homer and a two-run homer in the fourth. In the sixth, Adrian added another solo homer run.

Gardner hit an RBI double in the fifth and later scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher senior Cal Barrett (Chelsea, Michigan/Chelsea).