Baseball team splits two games against MIAA leader Hope

Comets win first game, 5-3, and lose nightcap, 4-1

OLIVET, Mich. – For the fourth time this season, the Olivet College baseball team has split a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader. In today's games at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet, the Comets beat Hope College 5-3 in the opener before losing the nightcap, 4-1.

In the opener, the Flying Dutchmen plated a run in the top half of the second inning. Olivet answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. With runners on first and second, sophomore Joey Myers (Lansing/Holt) laced a single into the left-centerfield gap to score junior Jonny Zawacki (Alpena). Junior Joel Peters (Auburn Hills/Avondale) followed with a RBI-single to score sophomore Drew Thompson (Canton/Salem), and Myers scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Peter Panos (Davison).

The Comets added to their lead in the last half of the third inning with a pair of unearned runs. Hope added single tallies in the fourth and sixth innings to make the score 5-3. The Flying Dutchmen brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the seventh but a strikeout ended their threat.

Olivet finished the game with seven hits, including a 2-for-4 performance from sophomore Conner Magro (Bridgman). Five other Comets each had one hit. Freshman Colin Boak (Fowlerville) started the game on the mound and threw three and two-thirds innings, allowed two earned runs on four hits. Sophomore Jensen Aubry (Grayling) tossed two and one-third innings of relief, giving up one earned on one hit to improve to 2-0 on the season. Senior Andrew Brawley (Niles) threw the seventh inning to earn his second save of the season.

In the nightcap, Hope scored two unearned runs in the second inning and another unearned run in the third to take a 3-0 lead. The Dutchmen added another run in the sixth inning. Olivet scored its only run in the bottom half of the seventh. Senior Randy Young (Wixom/Walled Lake Western) led off the inning with a double and later scored on a groundout by Myers.

The Comets were held to three hits, a single to lead off the game by sophomore Beau Langs (Climax/Climax-Scotts), a single by Thompson in the fifth and Young's double. Senior Kyle Fisher (Vermontville/Maple Valley) suffered the pitching loss. He surrendered three unearned runs on three hits in three innings of work. Sophomore Collin McCririe (Brighton) pitched four innings of relief and yielded one run on four hits.

Hope and Olivet will complete the four-game MIAA series tomorrow with a doubleheader in Holland. Game time from Boeve Stadium is 1 p.m.