SPRING ARBOR, MI – After a doubleheader sweep on Friday, the Spring Arbor baseball team took the field once again on Saturday afternoon looking to secure their first conference series sweep since 2019, when series were only three game sets. Game one was a pitcher's duel with runs coming at a premium. Bethel struck first in the third inning, scoring two runs, but Spring Arbor would respond with a run of their own in the bottom of the third. The Cougars would take the lead in the next inning, scoring three runs on a two run double and a sacrifice fly, added another insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, and shut out the Pilots for the remainder of the contest to claim the 5-2 victory. Game two also began as a pitcher's duel, with both teams being held scoreless through the first three frames, before Spring Arbor finally came alive, scoring three in the bottom of the fourth. They would continue that offensive firepower over the next two innings, scoring two in the fifth and four in the sixth to take control with a 9-0 lead. Bethel would avoid the shutout in the top of the seventh with a run, but could not muster anymore as Spring Arbor secured the series sweep with the 9-1 win.  

 
SCORES:  
Spring Arbor 5, Bethel 2 
Spring Arbor 9, Bethel 1 
LOCATION:  
Hank Burbridge Field  
RECORDS:  
Spring Arbor 21-15, 13-11 Bethel 10-22, 5-19 

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS: 

The contest started out with both pitchers being efficient, as neither team sent more than more four hitters to the plate in the first two frames. Bethel would buck that trend in the top of the third however, using a bloop single and two bunts to load the bases with nobody out. They would cash in on the opportunity with an RBI single in the next at bat, but Cougar starter Kyler Hinken limited the damage, using a double play and a strikeout to escape the inning with only one more run allowed, as Bethel took a 2-0 lead.  

The Spring Arbor offense would respond in the bottom half of the third, as Zach Adams led off the inning with a single, courtesy runner Jake Spedoske advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Conner Barkel, and scored on an Eli DeVisser RBI single, to bring the Cougars within one, 2-1. Hinken would settle in and toss a 1-2-3 top of the fourth, setting the Cougars up to take the lead, and that they did. Ryan Gonzalez began the inning with a hit by pitch, Jake Zeeb walked and Brenden Phillips singled on a perfect bunt to load the bases with nobody out. The next hitter, Braydon Gregory, would lace a double into the left-center gap, scoring Gonzalez and Zeeb to give SAU the 3-2 lead. Two batters later, Barkel would bring home Phillips on a sacrifice fly, and the Cougars would exit the fourth with a 4-2 lead.  

Hinken continued to roll in the top of the fifth, tossing another 1-2-3 inning, and the Cougar offense would get another run in the bottom half, loading the bases on an error, single, and walk, and scoring in an unconventional way, as Phillips' swing clipped the catcher's glove for a catcher's interference, bringing home the fifth run for the Cougars, and extending their lead to 5-2. From that point on, the offense went quiet for both teams, as no runs were scored for the last three and a half innings, and Spring Arbor cruised to a 5-2 victory, as Hinken finished the game on his own, earning his first career complete game.  

 GAME ONE PERFORMERS 

Pitching:  

Kyler Hinken: Win, 9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's 

Hitting: 

Braydon Gregory: 2 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI 

Brenden Phillips: 1 for 3, R, RBI 

Eli DeVisser: 1 for 3, RBI, SAC Bunt 

Jake Zeeb: 1 for 2, R, 2 BB 

Ryan Gonzalez: 1 for 2, R, BB, HBP 

Zach Adams: 1 for 3 

Conner Barkel: 0 for 1, RBI, SAC Fly 

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS: 

The low scoring from game one carried over into game two for the first three and a half innings, as Cougar starter Trammell Lindstrom faced the minimum through four, only allowing one hit, who was erased by Seth Clothier on a steal attempt. In the bottom of the fourth, the Spring Arbor offense found some life, as the inning started with singles from Phillips and Gregory. Phillips would score the Cougars' first run on the next pitch, as Seth Clothier bunted and reached on an errant throw, and Spring Arbor would get two more a few hitters later, as Joey Tessmer reached on an infield single and errant throw by the third baseman to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead.  

Lindstrom continued to deal for the Cougars, and the offense would add more in the bottom of the fifth, as Gonzalez and Zeeb both singled to lead off the inning, and both would score, as Phillips bunted and reached on a throwing error that allowed Gonzalez to score, and Gregory hit a fly ball to right that scored Zeeb to extend the Cougar lead to 5-0. Lindstrom shut the Pilots down again in the top of the sixth, and SAU got back to work in the bottom half, as Joey Tessmer tripled to lead off the inning, Aiden Brunin drove him in on a RBI double, and a few batters later, Brenden Philips punctuated his phenomenal weekend and blew the game open, blasting a three-run home run to right to further extend the Cougar lead to 9-0.  

In the top of the seventh, Bethel was finally able to find a little offense, using a single, double, and RBI groundout to end Lindstrom's shutout bid, but that was all they could muster, as Lindstrom struck out the final hitter to seal the series sweep with a 9-1 victory.  

GAME TWO PERFORMERS: 

Pitching: 

Trammell Lindstrom: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K's 

Hitting: 

Brenden Phillips: 2 for 3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, SAC Bunt 

Joey Tessmer: 2 for 4, 3B, R, RBI 

Aiden Brunin: 2 for 4, 2B, R, RBI, 2 SB 

Braydon Gregory: 1 for 3, R, RBI, SAC Fly 

Jake Zeeb: 1 for 3, R, BB 

Ryan Gonzalez: 1 for 3, R, BB 

Seth Clothier: 1 for 2, 2 SAC Bunts 

UP NEXT 
Spring Arbor will stay at home as Grace Christian comes to town for a midweek doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 4:00 PM, but is subject to change with the weather.