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Hope College

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Mason Belmore poses for a portrait.
Junebug Photography
PIctured, Mason Belmore
7
Winner Hope HOPE 21-19
0
Alma ALMA 24-18
Winner
Hope HOPE
21-19
7
Final
0
Alma ALMA
24-18
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Hope HOPE 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 1 7 12 0
Alma ALMA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1

W: Johnson, Trent (7-4) L: T. Johnson (3-2)

0
Kalamazoo KZOO 30-11
6
Winner Hope HOPE 22-19
Kalamazoo KZOO
30-11
0
Final
6
Hope HOPE
22-19
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Kalamazoo KZOO 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2
Hope HOPE 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 X 6 8 1

W: Belmore, Mason (6-3) L: R. Ahlgren (5-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Alan Babbitt

Baseball Fires Back-to-Back Shutouts, Earns Shot at MIAA Tournament Title

In must-win situations, pitchers Trent Johnson and Mason Belmore both met the moment on the mound for the Hope College baseball team.

The right-handers fired back-to-back, complete-game shutouts over a span of five hours on Friday to hurl the Flying Dutchmen into the championship round of the MIAA Tournament at Kalamazoo College.

Johnson, the reigning MIAA Most Valuable Pitcher, blanked Alma College, 7-0, with a 100-pitch effort during the first elimination game of the day.

Belmore followed with a 115-pitch performance for a 6-0 victory against Kalamazoo.

Hope (22-19) advanced to face Adrian College on Saturday, May 11, at noon at Kalamazoo. The Flying Dutchmen, who opened the tournament with a loss to the Bulldogs, must defeat Adrian twice to win the MIAA Tournament.

Head coach Stu Fritz described his pitchers' and team's performances as super gritty.

"I can't say enough about Trent and Mason. They were just super. We played great defense all day," Fritz said. "It was an uphill climb. They embraced it."

Against Alma, Johnson (Midland, Michigan / H.H Dow HS) struck out three while allowing four hits and one walk. The junior raised his record to 7-4 with his fourth complete game of the season.

Up 2-0, Hope broke open the game with a four-run seventh. 

Sophomore leftfielder Brenden Collins (Kalamazoo, Michigan / Hackett Catholic) started the rally with an RBI single to center. Two batters later, senior second baseman Nolan Gardner (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids) smacked a two-out RBI double down the right-field line. 

Junior third baseman Al Money (Midland, Michigan / Midland) followed with a two-run single to left.

In the ninth, sophomore designated hitter Cade Seabaugh (Ballwin, Missouri / Ladue Horton) slugged a solo homer for the last of Hope's 12 hits against the Scots, who fell to 24-18.

Against Kalamazoo, Seabaugh capped a five-run bottom of the third by blasting a three-run homer to right. 

It was Seabaugh's team-leading seventh home run of the season.

Earlier in the inning, senior catcher Andrew Pickett (Carmel, Indiana / Brebeuf Jesuit Prep) opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

Senior centerfielder Robbie Stuursma (East Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids) — the MIAA Position Player of the Year — followed with an RBI single.

Pickett added an RBI double in the fourth. Hope finished with eight hits.

Belmore (Battle Creek, Michigan / Lakeview) held Kalamazoo to five hits. The junior struck out five and walked one while raising his record to 6-3.

The title round appearance is the Flying Dutchmen's third in four seasons.

"This is a special group of kids. We started early 1-7 with backs to the wall," Fritz said. "All they've done is keep fighting. To have a chance at a title … we couldn't ask for anything more."

 
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