Box Score by Alan Babbitt
The Hope College baseball team battled back until the final strike before falling to Kalamazoo College, 12-9, on Monday at Boeve Stadium.
The loss snapped the Flying Dutchmen's 10-game winning streak.
Hope (21-7, 11-3 MIAA) remains in first place in the league standings. The Flying Dutchmen lead second-place Kalamazoo by 2 1/2 games. Kalamazoo is 8-5 in MIAA play and 15-10 overall.
All of Hope's runs came after the fifth inning.
Kalamazoo seized a 10-0 run by belting six home runs, including two by catcher Hunter Posezat.
The Flying Dutchmen cut into the Hornets' lead with a four-run sixth.
Senior Brant Kym (Libertyville, Illinois / Libertyville HS) put Hope on the board with an RBI single
Two batters later, senior Andrew Gilpin (Brighton, Michigan / Brighton) knocked in senior Kainan Bayn (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) with a sacrifice fly.
Junior Caleb Regan (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Byron Center) and freshman Al Money (Midland, Michigan / Midland) capped the rally with an RBI single and RBI double, respectively.
In the seventh, senior Grant Barrett (Chelsea, Michigan / Chelsea) and Gilpin smacked run-scoring singles.
Kym added a second RBI in the eighth when he reached base on a fielder's choice.
In the ninth, senior Evan Maday (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Kentwood) stroked a two-run double and brought the tying run to the plate, but Kalamazoo reliever Brenden Oprinski stopped the rally by striking out the only batter he faced for the final out. It was Oprinksi's first save of the season.
