Baseball team swept by Hope, 18-0 and 6-4

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team was swept by Hope College in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The Flying Dutchmen won the opener, 18-0, and survived a Comet rally in the ninth inning to win the nightcap, 6-4.

Hope used 13 hits, 12 walks and five hit batters to score their 18 runs in the first game. The Dutchmen plated six runs in the second, five runs in the third, three in the fifth, one in the sixth and three in the seventh.

Olivet did not record its first in the game until the fifth inning when sophomore Connor Murney lined a single up the middle of the infield. Senior Zach Kitzmiller followed with a double to advance Murney to third base. Three strikeouts ended the inning. The Comets left another runner stranded at third base in the sixth inning. Freshman Travis Petts hit a double in the seventh inning.

Five Comet pitchers combined to throw the seven innings, including Kitzmiller making his first-ever appearance on the mound in the seventh. Senior Tyler Parish started on the mound and was credited with the loss. He lasted only an inning and one-third, allowing six runs (five earned) on three hits. Senior Nick Taylor struck out three batters in his two and two-thirds innings of work.

Hope scored a run in the top half of the first inning of game two. Olivet did not need a hit in the home of the inning to tie the game. Two walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases. A third walk to senior Stephen Botti scored sophomore Luke Spotts. After a pitching change, the Dutchmen got out of the jam with a strikeout and double play.

In the third inning, Hope had its chance with the bases loaded but two pop outs ended the inning. The Comets used the momentum to take a 2-1 lead in the home half of the third. Junior Andrew Dayfield walked to start the inning. He went to third on Botti's single and scored on Murney's double to the right-center field alley.

Neither team scored in the fourth inning. The Dutchmen sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs in the fifth inning. A one-out walk was followed by back-to-back home runs by Landon Brower and Luke Brower to put Hope ahead 4-2. An error allowed another runner to score and then a pinch-hit double scored the last run.

Olivet made the score 6-3 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Kitzmiller, which scored Botti. Neither team scored any runs in the next three innings, setting the stage for the Comets' rally in the ninth.

Dayfield reached first base on a fielding error, junior Austin Cleaver lined a single to center field and Murney singled through the right-side of the infield to fill the bases with only one out. Kitzmiller walked on a full-count pitch to plate Dayfield with the first run. Following a pitching change, two Comets struck out swinging to end the game.

For the game, Olivet had nine hits. Murney was 3-for-4 with two singles and one double. Botti and Cleaver each went 2-for-4. Dayfield did not have a hit but scored two runs, and Kitzmiller also did not have a hit but drove in a pair of runs.

Freshman Gage Roberts started on the mound but received a no decision after giving up one run in two and one-third innings. Senior Ryan Roeske was tagged with his first loss of the season after surrendering four runs on four hits in two innings of relief.

The teams will wrap-up the four-game series with a doubleheader Saturday at Hope's Boeve Field at 1 p.m.