The Purdue University Calumet baseball team used some late-game dramatics to capture the series opener against visiting Trinity International University before falling Game 2 Tuesday at Dowling Park.
The Peregrines (21-13, 14-13 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) used an Anthony Colosimo (Lake Forest, Ill./Loyola Academy) walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to win Game 1, 4-3, before the Trojans (7-39, 6-21) rebounded for a 5-1 win in the nightcap.
Purdue Calumet returns to action Saturday to kick off a three-game league series with Calumet College of St. Joseph to conclude the regular season. The Peregrines travel to Whiting, Ind., for a noon doubleheader on Saturday before returning home Sunday for their home finale, hosting the Crimson Wave in a single game at noon.
Sunday also marks Senior Day for Purdue Calumet’s seven seniors – Micah Rooke, John Livingston, Anthony Spangler, Zach Miller, Anthony Colosimo, Justin Stowe and Tyler Borgman – who will be honored prior to the contest.
GAME 1: PURDUE CALUMET 4, TIU 3
With one out and runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh, Anthony Colosimo delivered with a line-drive hit through the left side to give the Peregrines the walk-off win in Game 1.
Senior Micah Rooke (Robertsdale, Ind./Clark) led the way at the plate for the Peregrines with his 3-for-4, one-RBI performance while teammate Cody Dykema (Crown Point, Ind./Lake Central) finished 2-for-3 in Purdue Calumet’s eight-hit effort.
With starter Phil Madvek (Hobart, Ind./Hobart) on the mound, the Peregrines struck first with a run in the second when Rooke singled through the left side to score Alec Skalka (Munster, Ind./Munster), who walked with two outs and advanced to third on a Eric Sickles (Benicia, Calif./Benicia) single.
The Trojans, however, would respond with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead. That’s when the Peregrines began their comeback, starting with a two-run sixth to tie the game at 3-all.
With two runners on, Skalka singled and Matt Sandoval (Highland, Ind./Bishop Noll) and John Cristo (Munster, Ind./Munster) scored when the ball got past a TIU outfielder.
After reliever Jeremy Swart (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) held the Trojans scoreless in the seventh, Rooke started the bottom of the frame with a single and Dykema walked. John Livingston (Highland, Ind./Highland) then moved the runners with sacrifice bunt to set up Colosimo’s clutch hit.
Swart got the win (2-1) and Madvek pitched six innings, allowing seven hits, two earned runs and striking out three.
GAME 2: TIU 5, PURDUE CALUMET 1
The Peregrines managed to plate just one run in a five-hit Game 2, as the Trojans used a big fifth inning to clinch a win in the nightcap.
Trinity International broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the fifth, as Adam Vignola’s two-RBI single and Cameron Stanley’s RBI double down the right field line helped the visitors take a big lead.
Purdue Calumet answered with what would be its lone run in the bottom of the inning, as Micah Rooke’s sacrifice fly to right scored pinch runner Avery Lochow (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) from third. The Peregrines had the bases loaded – with singles from Jonny Albers (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo), Alec Skalka and Eric Sickles, but managed only one run in the inning.
TIU would get another run in the eighth on a Jon Grotelueschen RBI triple to complete the game’s scoring.
Five different players had one hit for Purdue Calumet, all singles, as the TIU trio of Ryan Helmeid, Drake Maltry and Jeremiah Carter held off the Peregrines offense.
Senior Justin Stowe (Highland, Ind./Hammond Baptist) took the loss, scattering five hits, fanning three and walking one while giving up three earned runs.