Britons take series opener from Hope

» GAME STATISTICS

By Jake Lloyd, '07
Albion College Sports Information Student Assistant
ALBION, Mich. - Behind another strong complete-game performance from senior pitcher Jon Hastings (Fort Gratiot/Port Huron Northern), the Albion College baseball team easily defeated Hope College 9-2 in the opening game of Albion's final Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association homestand.

The series concludes Saturday, April 24, with a 1 p.m. doubleheader of seven inning games at Frank Joranko Field.

Hastings boosted his record to a perfect 6-0 by giving up just two runs and eight hits in the nine-inning game. He also struck out four.

Hastings got more than enough help from the Albion bats. Entering the fourth inning down 1-0 and with just one hit off Dutchmen hurler Jon Deming, the Britons got some help from Hope's defense.

Two errors by Hope in the bottom of the fourth coupled with an RBI double by Albion senior third baseman Mike Cieszkowski (Howell/Hartland) and an infield RBI single by first baseman Mike Pisha (Wixom/Walled Lake Western) gave the Britons a 2-1 lead they would never relinquish.

Albion came right back in the fourth inning, scoring four runs to chase Deming after four-and-a-third innings. The Britons were helped by another Hope error. After junior David Seales (Alma/Alma) grounded out to start the frame, sophomore centerfielder Richard Engelman (Grand Blanc/Flint Powers) and senior second baseman Mark Flancbaum (Orchard Lake/West Bloomfield) drew back-to-back walks to get things started. Junior right fielder Chris Trott (Plymouth/Salem) got an RBI on a Hope error, and Cieszkowski singled to score Flancbaum. Albion added two more when senior catcher Mike Shook (Coldwater/Coldwater) drove in a run by getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Pisha followed by walking to force in a run.

Albion gave itself some extra insurance with three runs in the sixth to make it 9-0. Hope scored its only runs of the day in the seventh.

Cieszkowski led Albion, driving in two runs on two hits and scoring a run. Pisha also had two RBI and junior shortstop Brian Sayers (Chelsea/Chelsea) knocked two hits and scored two runs.

With the win, Albion improved to 17-12, 7-3 in the MIAA. Hope fell to 18-14, 8-5.

Updated Friday April 23, 2004 by Albion College Sports Information.