Baseball team topped by Kalamazoo, 4-1 and 13-6, in MIAA twin bill

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team suffered a pair of losses, 4-1 and 13-6, to Kalamazoo College in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association twin bill today at Woodworth Field in Kalamazoo.

In the opener, the Comets took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the first inning. Sophomore Luke Spotts led off with a double, went to third to third on a fielding error on a batted ball by junior Andrew Dayfield and crossed the plate on a ground out by junior Austin Cleaver. The Hornets scored an unearned run in the third inning to level the score at 1-1.

Kalamazoo then took advantage of two Olivet errors to plate three runs in the fifth inning to go up 4-1. The Comets loaded the bases in their half of the sixth when Dayfield reached on an error and seniors Stephen Botti and Tyler Parish had base hits. A fly out to shallow right field ended the scoring threat.

At the plate, Olivet had six hits. Spotts led the way, going 2-for-3 with two doubles. Four others – Botti, Parish, senior Zach Kitzmiller and sophomore Nick Jones – had one hit apiece. Sophomore Aiden Holliday was shouldered with the pitching loss after giving up the four runs (two earned) on eight hits in the first five innings. Senior Ryan Roeske allowed one hit and struck out two in his inning of relief.

Like the first game, the Comets scored a run in the first inning of game two. Spotts hit a lead-off triple to the left-center field gap and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dayfield. The Hornets got that run back and two more runs to take a 3-1 lead after one inning of play.

The top of the Olivet lineup produced another run in the third inning. Spotts reached on a leadoff error by the shortstop and went to second on Dayfield's base hit. After a wild pitch moved the runners up one base each, Spotts came around to score on Cleaver's groundout.

The Hornets extended their lead to 6-2 with two runs in the third inning. The Comets responded with a pair of runs in the top half of the fourth frame. Parish and Kitzmiller led off with back-to-back singles. Parish tagged up and went to third base on a fly out. Jones hit an infield single to plate Parish advance Kitzmiller to second base. Sophomore Colton Dawdy lined a double into the left-center gap to score Kitzmiller. Jones was thrown out at the plate.

Olivet got another run back in the fifth to cut its deficit down to one, 6-5. Cleaver hit a double and scored on a single up the middle by senior Stephen Botti. Kalamazoo responded with its own run in the home half of the fifth.

The bottom of the Comets' lineup helped score a run in the sixth to close the gap to one run, 7-6. Two hits, followed by a fielder's choice out at third base, and then another single loaded the bases with only one out. Spotts then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score sophomore Connor Murney.

The Hornets broke the game open by scoring four runs in the sixth and another run in the seventh. After Olivet left a runner stranded in scoring position in the top half of the eighth, a solo home run to start the Kalamazoo half of the eighth inning pushed its lead to seven runs at 13-6. The Comets had a base runner in the ninth inning but he was erased on a double play.

Despite the loss, Olivet recorded 13 hits. Dawdy, Jones, Kitzmiller and Parish all went 2-for-4. Kitzmiller and Parish each scored a run. Spotts was 1-for-3 with a triple, RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Michael O'Brien was tagged with the pitching loss. He lasted only three innings after yielding six earned runs on six hits. Freshman Gage Roberts threw two and one-third innings of relief and gave up five runs (three earned) on three hits. Parish and senior Nick Taylor each allowed a run in relief.

The Comets will travel to play a non-conference game against Davenport University Tuesday afternoon, starting at 7 p.m.