Baseball team ends season with two losses to Kalamazoo
The Olivet College baseball team closed out the 2018 season with a pair of losses to Kalamazoo College this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The Hornets withstood a Comet comeback in the seventh inning to win the first game, 5-4, before winning the nightcap, 15-4.
May 6, 2018
OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team closed out the 2018 season with a pair of losses to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Kalamazoo College this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The Hornets withstood a Comet comeback in the seventh inning to win the first game, 5-4, before winning the nightcap, 15-4.
THE BASICS
Final Scores: Kalamazoo 5, Olivet 4; Kalamazoo 15, Olivet 4
Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Kalamazoo 20-19 overall, 17-11 MIAA; Olivet 10-30 overall, 6-22 MIAA
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)
- The Hornets scored two runs in the first inning, one run in the third inning and two runs in the sixth to go up 5-0.
- The Comets pushed across their first run in the bottom half when junior Jake Robinson deposited a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left field for his second home run of the season.
- Olivet used a two-out rally to score three runs in the bottom half of the seventh. Freshman Logan Sella struck out but reached base when the third-strike pitch went to the back stop. Freshman Bruce Allen lined a pinch-hit single to advance Sella to third base. Freshman Brandan Settles hit an RBI-double to plate Sella and move Allen to third base. Freshman Ben Compton roped a single down the left field line to score both runners. The rally and game ended with a ground out.
FOR THE COMETS
- Olivet out-hit Kalamazoo, 9-7.
- Compton, Robinson and Settles each had two hits.
- Sophomore Zac Walter suffered the pitching loss after giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits over three innings.
- Junior Travis Petts allowed two runs on one hit, with three walks, over two and one-third innings.
- Freshman Domanic Smith tossed an inning and two-thirds of scoreless relief.
FOR THE HORNETS
- Chase Coselman went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI.
- Josh Reuter tallied two hits.
- Jacob Gilhaus went the distance on the mound to earn the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)
- Olivet plated a run in the first inning. Compton led off the inning with a single, stole second base and eventually scored on junior Dugan Dieselberg's two-out RBI-single.
- The Comets maintained the 1-0 lead until the Hornets exploded for 15 runs (five runs in the fifth, two in the sixth, five in the seventh and three in the eighth).
- Olivet pushed across three runs in the ninth inning.
FOR THE COMETS
- Batting out of the leadoff spot in the lineup, Compton notched three of the eight Olivet hits.
- Senior Connor Murney finished with two hits in his final game.
- Dieselberg also had two hits and walked twice.
- Senior Aiden Holliday was tagged with the pitching loss after yielding seven runs (two earned) on seven hits over the first five and one-third innings.
- Seniors Austin Hickey and Joseph Crosby, and freshman Drew Coulter threw in relief.
FOR THE HORNETS
- At the plate, Jordan Wiley went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs and two RBI.
- Todd Bonnivier also tallied three hits, including two doubles, and two RBI.
- Coselman, Andre Gard and Zach Prystash each collected two RBI.
- Gard started on the mound but did not factor in the decision since he threw only four innings.
- John Kunec was labeled with the pitching win. He allowed two hits in two innings.
- Three relievers each tossed an inning.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Between games, the Comets saluted the five seniors – Crosby, Colton Dawdy, Hickey, Holliday and Murney – who wore a Comet uniform for the final time.
- With his pitching appearance in game two, Crosby broke Olivet's single-season record with his 22nd time on the mound.
- Sophomore Riley Bennett broke the single-season school record for fielding assists with 133.
- Freshman Junior Gomez tied for the ninth-most home runs in a season with five.