AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Elmhurst University baseball team slipped to 7-6 on the season after dropping a 15-6 slugfest with Hope College at the RussMatt Invitational.
 
Hope raced out a 9-1 lead after four innings and never looked back. Elmhurst cut into the deficit with two runs in the fifth on RBI singles from Trey Romay and Paul Fomby, making the score 9-3. Hope got both runs back in the bottom of the frame thanks to a two-run double from Nolan Gardner.
 
Elmhurst closed the deficit down to three runs with a three-run outburst in the seventh. Michael Campanaro started the scoring with a sacrifice fly. A Jesse James RBI coupled with a Hope error allowed two runs to score for the Bluejays. Hope put the game out of reach with four runs in the bottom of the eighth to make the final score 16-5.
 
Fomby, Drew Raspolich, James and Zach Kolb totaled two hits apiece for the Bluejays in the loss. Romay drove in a team-leading two runs for Elmhurst.
 
Joseph Kalish made the start and took the loss for Elmhurst. He worked 3.0 innings and allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out two. Mason Belmore picked up the win for Hope, working five innings and scattering six hits, three runs and two walks while fanning five.
 
Elmhurst closes out its Florida road trip by taking on Colby College tomorrow.