RICHMOND, Ky. – Carroll University baseball opened its Saturday doubleheader with an offensive outburst against Berea before rallying for a late comeback win over Kalamazoo.
Game 1: Carroll 17, Berea 6
Carroll set the tone early in the opener, scoring in six different innings and erupting for five runs in both the eighth and ninth to pull away for a 17–6 victory over Berea.
The Pioneers scored first in the opening inning when Dalton Lamberson singled home a run, then added two more in the fourth on RBI hits from Ryan Kopecky and a sacrifice fly by Luke Matuga. Carroll led 4–0 before Berea responded with four runs in the fifth to even the game.
Carroll immediately answered in the sixth, reclaiming the lead on Matuga's RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Jack Appino. The Pioneers continued to apply pressure on the basepaths, adding another run in the seventh on a wild pitch before breaking the game open late.
Carroll scored five runs in the eighth and five more in the ninth, highlighted by multiple two-run hits. Lamberson finished with three hits and three RBIs, while Evan Becker drove in four runs. Kopecky recorded three RBIs, and Ben Ferko reached base four times while scoring twice.
Game 2: Carroll 8, Kalamazoo 5
In the nightcap, Carroll erased an early deficit and exploded for seven runs across the fifth and sixth innings to defeat Kalamazoo 8–5.
Kalamazoo jumped out to a 3–0 lead, but Carroll cut into the margin in the fourth before taking control in the fifth. The Pioneers scored three times in the inning, highlighted by Lamberson's two-run triple that put Carroll in front.
Carroll added four more runs in the sixth, capitalizing on walks, a passed ball, and a two-run single from Lamberson to build an 8–3 cushion. Kalamazoo scored twice in the bottom of the sixth, but Carroll's bullpen shut the door from there.
Lamberson drove in four runs in the nightcap, while Ferko and Nick Crick each had multiple hits. Owen Ripley earned the win in relief, and Connor Schultz recorded the save.
The Pioneers will look to build on today's success next week as they travel to Rockford next Saturday for another double header.
