The Aquinas baseball team battled against rival Cornerstone in the last doubleheader of the 2022 season on Saturday (Apr. 30) at Meijer Sports Complex. The Golden Eagles won game one in a high scoring affair by a 14-10 score, but the Saints rebounded to finish the season on a high note with a 9-5 win in game two. AQ finished the season with a 19-33 (16-6 WHAC) record. In between games, Aquinas honored 12 seniors in Anthony Arnold, Sean Wing, James Wubben, Kelvin Aracena, Chris Suriel Garcia, Grant Smitz, Lorenzo Cupri, Braden Nawrocki, Jordan Gapinski, Nathan Hughes, and Nathan Myers on senior day.

GAME 1: Cornerstone 14, Aquinas 10

After the Golden Eagles scored the first run of the game in the first inning, the Saints rattled off six runs in the second to take a five-run lead. After loading the bases, the first three runs scored on walks by Kelvin Aracena and Anthony Arnold plus JD Gillies scoring on a passed ball. A single by Dane Smitz scored the fourth run and then the final two were brought in on a Mark Binkowski double to left field.

A three-run third inning by Cornerstone cut the Aquinas lead down to two. However, two doubles by Jake Paganelli and Gillies got a run back for the Saints in the bottom of the inning.

Starting on the hill for the Saints was Conor Gausselin as he received a no decision after going five and two-thirds innings, allowing five runs on nine hits and three walks with four strikeouts. The big inning for CU was in the sixth when they scored nine runs to take a 13-7 lead. Nathan Myers (1-3) took the loss after not being able to get an out and giving up eight runs on six hits plus two walks.

AQ tried cutting into the deficit in the bottom half of the inning with another three runs to make the score 13-10. With the bases loaded yet again, Gillies drew a walk to force in the first run, Sean Wing scored on a wild pitch for the second, and Chris Suriel Garcia hit a sacrifice fly for the third.

The only other run in the seventh went to Cornerstone to make the final score 14-10. Grant Martin came in for Myers in the sixth and went the final inning and a third scoreless with two strikeouts.

Paganelli and Gillies both had multi-hit games as Binkowski and Gillies partnered up to drive in two runs a piece.

GAME 2: Aquinas 9, Cornerstone 5

The Saints led from start to finish in game to after jumping out in front with five runs in the third inning. Nathan Hughes got the scoring started with a one-out RBI single and was followed up by a infield single by Martin that scored the second run. Back-to-back doubles by Suriel and Nathan Wilcox plated the final three runs of the inning. Another run was scored in the fourth when Hughes brought in Wing on a sacrifice fly.

Cornerstone started chipping away in the sixth with its first two runs of the ball game. Two more runs in the seventh made it a two-run ball game before a solo home run in the eighth got the Golden Eagles within one run.

Three crucial runs scored for AQ in the bottom of the eighth inning to give some cushion before heading into the final inning. Lorenzo Cupri laid down a squeeze bunt with Owen Graves barreling towards the plate for the first run. In the next at bat, Arnold scored on a wild pitch before Hughes brought in the final run of the game on a single up the middle.

After finishing game one, Martin started game two on the bump and threw four scoreless innings. He only allowed two hits and got two strikeouts. Jordan Gapinski (1-0) and James Wubben combined to complete a clean fifth inning. Grant Smitz was able to get one out in the sixth, but two unearned runs crossed the plate on three walks and an error. Hunter Morrison came in the finish the inning with a double play. Tyler Zomerlei ended up with a three-inning save in which he gave up three runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out four.

Hughes was the man at the plate in game two, finishing 4-4 with three RBI. D. Smitz was also 3-3 with a walk and Suriel drove in a pair.