The Hope College baseball team made a strong statement at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Saturday, securing its first doubleheader sweep of the season against Penn State-Altoona with 6-3 and 10-9 wins.
The Flying Dutchmen built on Friday's 5-4 victory against 20th-ranked Rhodes College (Tennessee) and pushed their winning streak to a season-best three games.
Hope is back on the diamond on Monday, March 17, at 2:30 p.m. for a matchup with No. 17 Rowan University at Northeast Regional Park.
"I think we're starting to play a little more freely and getting comfortable with what we're trying to do every day," head coach Ryan Dorow said after his team improved to 4-7. "We put some really good at-bats together all day. Our pitchers kept us in the game."
Hope's pitching and timely hitting proved decisive in the first game of the double-header.
Freshman pitcher Aaron Pryce (Canton, Michigan / Salem HS) (1-0) earned his first win of the season, throwing three scoreless innings in relief while allowing just one hit and striking out three. Freshman closer Josiah Long (Newaygo, Michigan / Newaygo) recorded his first save, striking out the only batter he faced.
After falling behind 3-1 in the fourth inning, the Flying Dutchmen responded in the top of the fifth with an RBI single from senior Ben Stratman (Ann Arbor, Michigan / Pioneer) and an RBI double from sophomore Elliott Peter (Zionsville, Indiana / Zionsville).
Hope snapped a 3-3 tie in the seventh. The Flying Dutchmen sent eight batters to the plate, beginning with freshman Colton Kinnie's lead-off double.
Four batters later, pinch-runner Gabe Starks (Fort Wayne, Indiana / Carroll) came home on Peter's one-out single. Peter finished the game with three hits and three RBIs, both team-highs
Junior rightfielder Jace DeMann (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian) then singled through the right side, bringing in junior first baseman Cade Seabaugh (Ballwin, Missouri / Ladue Horton). The next batter, Peter scored on a fielder's choice for freshman shortstop Carter Perry (Grand Rapids, Michigan / West Catholic).
The second game featured a walk-off victory.
Hope's offense exploded early, scoring six runs in the bottom of the first to answer a two-run first from Penn State-Altoona. The Nittany Lions chipped away after trailing 8-2 after the second, tying the score at 9-9 with two runs in their half of the seventh.
With the game on the line, Stratman led off a single before pinch-runner senior Dylan Kleinedler (Sterling Heights, Michigan / Stevenson) moved into scoring position after pinch-hitter Nick Verduzco (Kalamazoo, Michigan / Hackett Catholic Prep) was hit by a pitch.
One batter after Penn State-Altoona (5-9) misplayed a sacrifice attempt, junior right fielder Jace DeMann (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian) delivered a walk-off single down the left-field line to knock in Kleinedler.
Junior pitcher Nic Bender (Caledonia, Michigan / Caledonia) earned the win in relief. Bender (1-0) tossed three innings while allowing just one earned run.
