Baseball team opens season with heartbreaking 8-7 loss to SUNY-Old Westbury

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Olivet College baseball team opened its 2016 season with a heartbreaking 8-7 loss to SUNY-Old Westbury this afternoon at the Gene Cusic Classic and inside Terry Park in Fort Myers, Florida.

The Comets took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top half of the second inning. Junior Bryan Reed walked to lead off the inning and went to third on a double by senior Stephen Botti. Sophomore Connor Murney advanced the runners up one base, including scoring Reed with a single to centerfield. A double play brought home Botti with the second run of the frame.

After two outs were recorded, Olivet hit back-to-back-to doubles in the third inning to double its lead, 4-0. Reed hit the first one, followed by Botti to plate Reed and then Murney to score Botti. After the Panthers scored a run in the bottom half of the sixth, the Comets got that run back in their half of the seventh inning. Senior Jimmy Schoof singled. On a fly out off the bat of sophomore Luke Spotts, the centerfield over through the cutoff man and Schoof advanced to third base when the ball went into the dugout. Schoof then scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Brady Johnson.

Old Westbury plated two unearned runs in the seventh inning to make the score 5-3. Olivet answered with two runs in the eighth inning on RBI-singles by Murney and freshman Bronson Warren to extend its lead back to four runs, 7-3. After the Comets were retired 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, the Panthers mounted their rally. Old Westbury used two bases-loaded hits to score their runs. The second one cleared them to score the tying and winning runs.

For the game, Olivet out-hit the Panthers, 14-9. Botti led the way with a 4-for-5 performance, with three doubles. He and Reed scored three runs apiece. Murney and senior Zach Kitzmiller were each 3-for-4. Murney drove in three runs.

Senior Colin Boak started on the mound and allowed a pair of earned runs (one earned) in six and two-thirds innings. He struck out five and walked two batters. Junior Cameron Hendrickson tossed an inning and one-third of relief. Reed gave the runs, with only two being earned, in the ninth inning to be tagged with the loss.

The Comets looks to rebound from the loss tomorrow when they play Baruch (N.Y.) College. First pitch from inside the Player Development Complex in Fort Myers is 9 a.m.