After the Michigan weather reared its ugly head over the last week, the Spring Arbor baseball team was finally able to take the field on Tuesday afternoon for their home opener. The Cougars took on Lourdes in a doubleheader and swept the Gray Wolves in the two seven inning contests, highlighted by a Jake Zeeb walk-off in game one.  

THE BASICS
SCORES: 
Spring Arbor 4, Lourdes 3
Spring Arbor 3, Lourdes 1
LOCATION: 
Hank Burbridge Field
RECORDS: 
Spring Arbor 6-4, Lourdes 0-4



GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
The two teams both went scoreless in the first inning before Spring Arbor drew first blood in the bottom of the second. Cade Heckendorn singled and Aiden Brunin was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second before an errant pickoff throw moved both runners into scoring position. With pinch runner Brenden Phillips ahead of him on third, Brunin took a large lead and forced a pickoff throw, allowing Phillips to score the first run. 
Lourdes would quickly respond in the top of the 3rd, homering on the first at bat of the inning and scoring two more runs on a pair of doubles and an RBI groundout to take a 3-1 lead.
Spring Arbor did not respond in the bottom of the third, and both teams went scoreless in the fourth and fifth, before the Cougars found some offense in the bottom of the 6^th. Joey Tessmer began the frame with a single and Braydon Gregory was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Ryan Gonzalez scored Tessmer on an RBI double down the first base line, and Heckendorn was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Brunin, who drew a two-out walk to tie the score at 3. 
Lourdes went scoreless in the top of the 7^th, setting up a chance for the Cougars to walk it off. Jake Spedoske led off the inning with a single, but Tessmer grounded into a fielder's choice to put a runner on first with one out. Tessmer swiped second base to put a runner in scoring position, and with two outs, pinch hitter Jake Zeeb drove one down the left field line, just evading the diving left fielder's glove to win the game for Spring Arbor, 4-3.
Top Performers: 
John Hojnowski: 6.2 innings, 6 hits, 3 earned runs, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts
Joey Tessmer: 2 for 4, 2 runs scored. 
Jake Zeeb: 1 for 1, walk-off single, RBI 
Ryan Gonzalez: 1 for 3, 2B, RBI
Cade Heckendorn: 1 for 2
Jake Spedoske: 1 for 3
Aiden Brunin: 0 for 1, RBI, BB. 

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
Game 2 began with both teams going scoreless in the first two frames before Spring Arbor drew first blood in the bottom of the 3^rd. Aiden Brunin began the frame with a double to right field, and Connor Barkel moved him to third on a sacrifice bunt. Jake Spedoske scored him on a safety squeeze bunt to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead. 
In the top of the fourth, Lourdes would respond on a triple to right field and scored the tying run on a wild pitch, before Trammell Lindstrom escaped the rest of the frame unscathed. 
Spring Arbor responded in the next half inning, getting two quick outs before Ryan Gonzalez reached on an infield single, and Connor Dee drove him in on a double to deep left field. Cade Heckendorn followed that up with a single to center to score Dee, and give the Cougars a 3-1 lead. 
The last three innings went scoreless as Trammell Lindstrom and Colin Snyder were fantastic on the bump. Snyder finished the final inning and a third, recording every out via strikeout and recording the save, securing the doubleheader sweep for Spring Arbor, 3-1. 
Top Performers:
Trammell Lindstrom: 5.2 innings, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts. 
Colin Snyder: 1.1 innings, 1 hit, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts
Ryan Gonzalez: 2 for 3, 1 run
Connor Dee: 1 for 2, 2B, RBI, BB
Cade Heckendorn: 1 for 3, RBI
Aiden Brunin: 1 for 2, 2B
Jake Spedoske: 0 for 0, RBI, BB

UP NEXT
Spring Arbor will open Crossroads League play on Friday, February 28^th, where they will take on Goshen at Hank Burbridge Field in a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM.