Baseball: Olivet loses twice to Adrian, 5-2 and 2-1
The Olivet College baseball team was swept by Adrian College, 5-2 and 2-1, this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.
OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team was swept by Adrian College in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader, 5-2 and 2-1, this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.
In game one, the Bulldogs scored a run in the first inning, three runs in the second inning and another run in the fourth inning to take a 5-0 lead. The Comets plated their only runs in the bottom half of the seventh. Senior Drew Thompson hit a single and went to second base when the second baseman dropped the catch on a play at the base on a batted by senior Jonny Zawacki.
After an out put runners on the corners, a balk was called to allow Thompson to score and advance junior Ryan Hendricks to second base. Another Adrian error led allowed Hendricks to score from second base on a batted ball by sophomore Nikolai Jump.
For the game, Olivet was held to only two hits – Thompson's single in the seventh and a single by senior Beau Langs in the fourth. On the mound, junior Mitch Galloway was tagged with the loss after allowing three earned runs on five hits in four innings. Freshmen Aiden Holliday and Austin Hickey combined to throw three hitless innings of relief.
The second game was pitcher's duel between Comet senior Collin McCririe and Adrian's Tommy Eng. Olivet was the first team to dent the scoreboard, as it took advantage of two Bulldog errors to score an unearned run in the second inning. Zawacki and Hendricks both reached on back-to-back errors and then moved up to second and third base, respectively, on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Colton Dawdy. Zawacki then crossed the plate on senior Peter Panos' groundout.
McCririe retired the first nine batters he faced. Adrian scored its first run in the fourth inning. The score stayed 1-1 until the sixth inning when the Bulldogs hit back-to-back doubles down the left field line to score the go-ahead run. Eng retired the final six Olivet batters in order.
Like the opener, the Comets had only two hits in the nightcap – a single by Langs in the first inning and a single by Dawdy in the fifth inning. McCririe was the tough-luck losing pitcher after surrendering the two runs on five hits in five and two-thirds innings. Junior Ryan Roeske struck out the only batter he faced on three pitches in the sixth. Zawacki tossed the final inning and struck out one.
Olivet is scheduled to play a nine-inning, non-conference game tomorrow at Oakland University. Game time is 3 p.m. The Comets will then play a four-game MIAA series this Friday and Saturday, April 3-4, against Calvin College. The opening doubleheader will be play Friday in Olivet, starting at 2 p.m., before moving to Grand Rapids for the final two games Saturday afternoon, beginning at 1 p.m.