Baseball team wins game one, loses game two against Alma

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team split a doubleheader against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) foe Alma College today at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The Comets won the first game, 2-1, before the Scots rallied to win game two, 5-3.

THE BASICS
Final Scores: Olivet 2, Alma 1; Alma 5, Olivet 3
Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Alma 14-14 overall, 7-9 MIAA; Olivet 8-20 overall, 4-14 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)

• In the first inning, the Scots had the bases loaded with one out but a strike out and pop out ended the inning.
• The Comets took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Freshman Logan Sella had a base hit to shallow center field. Senior Colton Dawdy hit the first pitch he saw over the fence in left field for a two-run home run.
• Alma scored one run and left loaded the bases, again, in the third inning.
• The Scots had two runners on base in the seventh but failed to score any runs.

FOR THE COMETS

• Three pitchers, freshman Ryan Rivard, and seniors Aiden Holliday and Joseph Crosby, combined to throw the one-hitter.
• Rivard threw the first three innings and gave up the only hit in the first inning.
• Holliday pitched the next two innings to pick-up the win.
• Crosby tossed the final two innings to earn the save.
• Sella had two of the four Olivet hits.

FOR THE SCOTS

• Logan Huff recorded the lone Alma hit.
• Dylan Dzendzel was the losing pitcher. He allowed the two runs on four hits, while striking out five over six innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)

• Both teams put zeroes on the scoreboard for the first five innings.
• Olivet scored three runs in the home half of the sixth. Freshman Ben Compton singled before advancing to third on a throwing error on sophomore Aaron Gillespie's batted ball. Freshman Riley Bennett lined a full-count pitch into the left-center field gap for a two-run double. Junior Dugan Dieselberg followed with an RBI-single to score Bennett.
• The Scots immediately answered with a five-run seventh inning.
• Olivet brought the tying run to the plate in its half of the seventh and eighth innings but failed to push across any runs.

FOR THE COMETS

• Bennett was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
• Four other players each had a hit.
• Olivet used five pitchers in the game.
• Senior Zach Oshinsky started and threw five scoreless innings.
• Freshman Brenden Huggler threw a scoreless inning of relief.
• Sophomore Huston Snyder and senior Austin Hickey each gave up two runs and did not record an out. Hickey was the losing pitcher.
• Crosby tossed the final three innings. He struck out five batters.

FOR THE SCOTS

• Four players tallied two hits apiece.
• Huff had the lone extra base hit, a double.
• Jordan Anstandig recorded two hits and two RBI.
• Eric Frontzak went the distance on the mound, yielding three unearned runs on six hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out 12.

UP NEXT

• The teams will finish the four-game series Sunday at Klenk Park in Alma, beginning at 1 p.m.