Baseball team splits season-opening games at Derby City Classic

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Olivet College baseball team split its season-opening games today at the Derby City Classic, hosted by Spalding (Ky.) University and played at DeSales High School in Louisville, Kentucky. The Comets lost their opener to Spalding, 12-2, before bouncing back to beat University of Wis.-Platteville, 7-6, in 10 innings.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Spalding 12, Olivet 2
Location: DeSales High School; Louisville, Ky.
Records: Spalding 4-0 overall, Olivet 0-1 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Golden Eagles led 12-0 behind two runs in the second inning, six runs in the fifth inning and four runs in the sixth inning.
• The Comets scored their two runs in the seventh inning. Sophomore Aaron Gillespie led off the inning with an infield single and advanced to third on senior Aiden Holliday's double. Junior Jake Robinson lined a single into right field to plate Gillespie and move Holliday to third. A ground out by sophomore Riley Bennett brought home Holliday.
• The game ended after seven innings because of the pre-determined 10-run mercy rule.

FOR THE COMETS

• For the game, Olivet was held to just five hits.
• In addition to the aforementioned hits in the seventh, Robinson and freshmen Ben Compton and Logan Wheeler each had a hit.
• Gillespie was charged with the pitching loss after giving up eight runs (five earned) on 10 hits over five and one-third innings. He struck out five and walked one. Freshman Alex Curry allowed four runs on five hits in the final inning and one-third.

FOR THE GOLDEN EAGLES

• Spalding pounded out 15 total hits.
• Clay Kelly went 3-for-3 with two runs scored.
• Quenton Brownlee was 2-for-2 with a three-run home run.
• Three other players each had a pair of hits.
• Jack Parisi threw the complete game, five-hitter to earn the pitching win. He had seven strikeouts and walked one.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Olivet 7, Wis.-Platteville 6 (10)
Location: DeSales High School; Louisville, Ky.
Records: Wis.-Platteville 0-1 overall, Olivet 1-1

HOW IT HAPPENED            

• The Comets manufactured two runs in the second inning. Bennett was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Freshman Logan Sella walked on a full count. After a double steal put both runners in scoring position, junior Dugan Dieselberg grounded out to score Bennett and advance Sella to third base. Wheeler lined the first pitch of his at-bat up the middle to plate Sella.
• The Pioneers answered with an unearned run in the home half of the second inning.
• Olivet got that run back in the sixth inning. Holliday led off with a single through the left-side of the infield. He stole second before sophomore Elijah Huebner came into the game to run for him. After an out was recorded, Bennett hit an RBI-double to score Huebner.
• Wis.-Platteville tied the game with two runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning. The Pioneers had two runners in scoring position with only one out, but freshman relief pitcher Ryan Rivard was able to escape the situation with two strikeouts.
• Leading off the top of eighth inning, freshman Junior Gomez put the Comets back ahead with a solo home run on a 1-2 pitch.
• The Pioneers tied the game at 4-4 with a run in their part of the eighth inning.
• Olivet immediately answered, scoring a run in top half of the ninth inning. Sella led off with a single. After an out was recorded, Wheeler doubled to left field and Sella came all the way around to score the go-ahead run.
• Down to its last strike, Wis.-Platteville used an RBI-single to level the score and send the game to extra innings.
• In the top of 10th inning, Gomez hit a home run to give the lead back to the Comets, 6-5. The Comets added an insurance run when Bennett hit a ground-rule double and scored on a single by Sella.
• Senior Zach Oshinsky helped the Comets get out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of half of the 10th to preserve their wins. Two Pioneers walked and a third was hit by a pitch to start off the inning. Inheriting a 3-0 count, Oshinsky struck out the batter swinging. A walk brought in a run and re-loaded the bases. The next two batters were caught looking for the third strike on 2-2 pitches.

FOR THE COMETS

• Gomez had the two home runs and two RBI in two plate appearances.
• Bennett hit two doubles, stole two bases and scored two runs.
• Wheeler had two singles and two RBI.
• On the mound, sophomore Zac Walter started and lasted six and one-third innings. He gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits, while striking out five and not walking a batter.
• Rivard struck out two of the three batters he faced.
• Senior Joseph Crosby threw two innings of relief to earn the pitching win.
• Oshinsky picked-up the save for his efforts in the 10th inning.

FOR THE PIONEERS

• Mitchell Susa collected two hits and drove in a pair of runs.
• Josh Moses and Collin Mormann had two hits apiece.
• Tyler Vogel started on the mound but did not factor in the decision.
• Cal Krafcheck suffered the loss after yielding the final four runs on six hits over four and two-thirds innings.

UP NEXT

• Olivet stays in Kentucky tonight and will play Aurora (Ill.) University tomorrow at 3 p.m.