The Aquinas baseball team earned its fourth straight doubleheader spilt in the nonconference games at Calvin on Tuesday (Mar. 22) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Saints won a low scoring game one 4-2 and then the bats woke up and the Knights were able to take game two 12-8. AQ is now 11-17 on the season as CU is 7-6 early on in its season.

GAME 1: Aquinas 4, Calvin 2

The Saints worked quickly in the first inning of the ball game as a walk by JD Gillies and a hit by pitch by Braden Brown set the table. After two strikeouts, Grant Martin was able to single in Gillies for the first run of the ball game. Another AQ run was scored in the second inning with Gillies driving in the run this time on another single with Sean Wing crossing the plate. 

Garrett Cheslek started on the hill for the Saints and had one of his best outings of the season. Cheslek only allowed one run in his last inning of work. In the three innings, Cheslek was only hit three times and gave up a walk, while striking out two.

With the score being 2-1 heading into the sixth, Aquinas scored two security runs to take a three run lead. Two Calvin errors and a single by Mark Binkowski loaded the bases with no outs. The Knights got two outs, but that did not stop the Saints from scoring another couple of runs. Wing ended up coming home on a wild pitch and Nathan Hughes followed that up with a pinch hit single to score Binkowski.

Tyler Zomerlei got his first win on the bump this season after throwing four innings and surrendering one run in the seventh inning. Zomerlei scattered five hits and a walk in his relief appearance and struck out three.

GAME 2: Calvin 12, Aquinas 8

The first two runs of game two came from the visiting Saints with Zomerlei scoring on a wild pitch for the first run, serving as the designated hitter in game two. AQ was able to load the bases and Dane Smitz drew a two-out walk to bring in Kelvin Aracena.

The Knights were able to tie the game up with a run in each of the second and third innings. Aquinas re-took the one-run lead in the fourth inning as Wing sent an RBI single into left field as Aracena trotted home from third.

However, Calvin took control of the game with two runs in the fourth and another one in the fifth for the 5-3 lead. Kyle Teachworth made the game two start on the mound and allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits plus two walks, while striking out two.

The Saints loaded the bases yet again in the sixth inning and was able to cut the deficit to one run after Wing reached on a fielder's choice and Aracena racing home.

Unfortunately the CU lead grew back out to four after another run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Nathan Myers pitched the fifth and sixth innings and the two runs that were scored with him in the ball game were unearned. Binkowski made his season debut on the rubber in the seventh inning and gave up two runs on two hits plus a walk with a strikeout. 

A big eighth inning saw AQ tie the game back up at 8-8 with the help of a couple Calvin errors. Joseph Kelley reached on a walk, Smitz was hit by a pitch, and Hughes reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. With two outs, Nathan Wilcox knocked a single into center field to score two runs. Two consecutive errors by the Knights brought in Hughes and Wilcox with the game tied up for the third time of the game.

Hunter Morrison came in to pitch the eighth inning and CU was able to score four runs of its own off four hits, a walk, and two errors. Morrison ended up taking the loss as only one of the four runs scored were earned with Calvin taking the 12-8 win.

Aquinas will next play UM-Dearborn in a WHAC road match-up on Saturday (Mar. 26) in Dearborn, Michigan, with first pitch of the doubleheader being scheduled for 1:00 PM.