HOLLAND, Mich. – Albion College maintained its one-game lead over Hope College in the race for second place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association baseball standings by salvaging a split of the Friday doubleheader at Boeve Stadium. Pete Salens (Bad Axe) yielded three hits and six walks and Eric Shimmel (Warren/Cousino) produced a pair of RBI singles to lift the Britons to a 3-2 win in game two after the Britons lost game one, 7-1.

The teams will return to Albion's Frank Joranko Field at 1 p.m. Saturday to complete the four-game series. Albion Director of News & Sports Information Bobby Lee will call the play-by-play for the internet broadcast at http://media.albion.edu/sports .

Salens allowed base runners in every inning except the seventh. He hit a batter and issued a walk as Hope stranded a pair in the first, back-to-back walks with two out in the third, and a single and a walk with two out in the sixth.

Shimmel's two-out single in the first scored Davin Montgomery (Novi/Northville). His third-inning single drove in Chuck DeClarke (Holt/Lansing Catholic Central) with the game-winning run. DeClarke's double earlier in the third scored Chad Gromek (Lansing/Lansing Catholic Central).

Albion fell behind early in game one as Hope scored twice in the first and added four runs in the second.Dan Mills' (Northville) fifth inning single broke up Adam Clements' shutout bid as Adam Mazza (Macomb/Dakota) scored.

Albion finished the day with 14 hits. John Gignac (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Central) and Shimmel collected three hits apiece. Montgomery produced a pair of singles.