Baseball team splits doubleheader at Calvin

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team split a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader at Calvin College this afternoon in Grand Rapids. Calvin won a pitcher's duel in the first game, 1-0. Freshman Junior Gomez hit two home runs in the eighth inning to help the Comets rally past the Knights, 14-11, in the nightcap.

THE BASICS
Final Scores: Calvin 1, Olivet 0; Olivet 14, Calvin 11
Location: Calvin College Baseball Field; Grand Rapids, Mich.
Records: Calvin 15-20 overall, 13-11 MIAA; Olivet 10-24 overall, 6-18 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)

• The pitcher's duel featured Olivet's Zac Walter and Calvin's Trevor VanDuyn.
• The Knights stranded two runners on base in the first inning before the Comets left two runners on base in the second inning.
• Olivet had two runners in scoring position with one out in the fourth inning but failed to score any runs.
• Calvin also put two runners on base in its half of the fourth before the Comets turned a double play to get out of the jam.
• The first batter reached in the sixth inning for the Knights but Olivet twisted another double play to end the inning.
• The Comets left a runner stranded in the top half of the seventh inning.
• In the bottom half of the seventh, Calvin had a one-out hit. A ground out moved the runner to second, and an RBI-single brought home the winning run.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet had just two hits in the game.
• Gomez and senior Aiden Holliday each recorded a hit.
• Sophomore Riley Bennett reached base safely twice on walks.
• Walter was the tough-luck losing pitcher, scattering nine hits over the six and two-thirds innings.

FOR THE KNIGHTS

• Nate DeZwaan was 3-for-3 with three singles.
• Jeremy Clark and Beau Redfield both went 2-for-3.
• Redfield drove in the only run.
• VanDuyn was the winning pitcher. He struck out six and walked two.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)

• The Knights batted around in the first inning and scored five runs.
• Calvin stretched its lead to 7-0 on a two-run home run in the third inning.
• The Comets got two runs back in the fourth inning and four runs in the fifth inning to cut their deficit down to a single run, 7-6. The big hit in the fifth was a three-run home run by Bennett.
• The Knights used a two-out single to plate a pair of unearned runs in the home half of the fifth inning.
• There was no scoring in the sixth and seventh innings.
• Gomez led off the eighth inning with a solo home run. After two runners got one base, junior Jake Robinson lined an RBI-single. Following a pitching change, Bennett singled to load the bases. A passed ball brought home another run and moved the other runners up one base each. Holliday roped a two-run single and advanced to second on the throw home to the plate. Sophomore Dillon Mitchell walked on four pitches to put two runners on base. Gomez cleared the bases with his second home run of the inning. When the dust settled, Olivet scored eight runs in the eighth inning to go ahead 14-9.
• Calvin scored two runs in the bottom half of the eighth to make the score 14-11.

FOR THE COMETS

• Bennett was 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs.
• Holliday had three hits, two runs and two RBI.
• Gomez hit the two dingers and drove in four runs.
• Senior Joseph Crosby picked-up the pitching win in relief. He gave up two unearned runs on three hits over three and two-thirds innings.
• Freshman Spencer Naffziger retired the Knight hitters 1-2-3 in the ninth to earn the save.

FOR THE KNIGHTS

• Redfield and Ricky Padilla each notched three hits.
• Five players had two RBI apiece.
• Logan Walker suffered the pitching loss.

UP NEXT

• The Comets step out of conference play next Tuesday, May 1, when it plays a nine-inning game at Ohio Northern University. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.