Baseball: Comets drop both games of doubleheader to Kalamazoo, 6-4 and 11-0

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team lost twice to Kalamazoo College, 6-4 and 10-0, in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader today at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.

In the opener, the Comets took an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in their first at-bat. Freshman Luke Spotts led off with an infield single, stole second base and went to third on a Hornet error off the bat of senior Drew Thompson. Junior Stephen Botti then lined a double in the right-center field gap to score Spotts and advance Thompson to third. Sophomore Austin Cleaver hit a sacrifice fly to plate Thompson.

Kalamazoo took a 3-2 lead with three runs in the fourth before extending its lead to 5-2 with two more runs in the fifth. Olivet pushed across a run in the home half of the fifth when Thompson scored on Botti's second double of the game. The Comets used a two-out rally to come within one run, 5-4, with a single tally in the sixth. Senior Peter Panos singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Freshman Ryan Hendricks entered the game to run for him, and then came round to score on sophomore Andrew Dayfield's single through the left side of the infield.

Ian Kobernick hit a solo home run in the seventh to push the Hornets' lead back to two, 6-4. Olivet had the tying run at the plate in the seventh but failed to score.

Despite the loss, Botti was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Thompson scored two runs. On the mound, junior Colin Boak threw all seven innings and gave up five earned runs on seven hits.

In the second game, Kalamazoo scored five runs in the second, four in the third, one in the fourth and one in the fifth for its 11 runs. Meanwhile, the Comets had only two base runners get into scoring position during the game.

For the game, Olivet was limited to four base hits, with the only extra base hit being a double by freshman Connor Murney. On the mound, freshman Aiden Holliday was tagged with the loss after surrendering 10 runs (two earned) on seven hits in four innings. Three relievers – freshman Joseph Crosby, and juniors Tom Miller and Nick Taylor – each threw an inning.

The teams will finish the four-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow at Woodworth Field in Kalamazoo. First pitch from game one is scheduled for 11 a.m.