Baseball team loses two season-opening games in Kentucky

DANVILLE, Ky. – The Olivet College baseball team lost two season-opening games today at Gary Wright Field in Danville, Kentucky. The Comets fell Dominican (Ill.) University, 4-2, and Centre (Ky.) College, 11-4.

Final Score: Dominican 4, Olivet 2
Location: Gary Wright Field; Danville, Ky.
Records: Olivet 0-1 overall, Dominican 1-0 overall

• The Stars took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the top half of the first inning. Dominican added another run in its part of the third inning. On the first-ever collegiate pitch thrown to him, freshman Matt Hewitt hit a solo home run to lead off the Comets' half of the third.
• Senior Dugan Dieselberg blasted a solo home run in the seventh inning to level the score at 2-2. The Stars plated a pair of unearned runs in the ninth inning.

• Junior Brandan Settles had two hits and two stolen bases.
• Junior Tim Sines started on the mound, throwing six innings. He gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits and struck out six batters.
• Freshman Jake Buchs suffered the loss in relief, yielding the two ninth-inning runs.                                        

• Ryan Simak was 2-for-3, with two singles.
• Brandon Diedrich and Kevin Evans each had one hit.
• Hayden Young earned the pitching win. He threw the first eight innings, allowing the two runs on five hits and striking out 11 batters with no walks. Austin Michals picked-up the save after tossing a hitless inning of relief.

Final Score: Centre 11, Olivet 4
Location: Gary Wright Field; Danville, Ky.
Records: Olivet 0-2 overall, Centre 4-1 overall

• The Colonels did not need a hit to score one run in the first inning and two more runs in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. The batters reached base on walks, and moved around the bases on wild pitches and stolen bases. Centre extended its lead to 6-0 with a three-run third inning before adding another run in the fourth inning.
• The Comets plated four runs in the top half of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded, junior Aaron Gillespie ripped a single through the left-side of the infield to score two runs. Freshman Dyre Leonard lined a single into right field to score the third run and advance Gillespie to third base. A wild pitch scored Gillespie with the fourth run.
• The Colonels pushed across single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to make the score 9-4. Centre capped its scoring with a pair of unearned runs in the eighth inning.

• Gillespie finished the game with two of the five hits.
• Other hits were by Leonard, Hewitt and junior Riley Bennett.
• Four pitchers combined to throw the eight innings. Freshman Hunter Henson was tagged with the loss after allowing six runs on three hits and six walks over the first two and two-thirds innings.

• Centre had nine total hits, all singles.
• Parker Selin was 3-for-4 with two RBI.
• Cameron Duggins and Drew Schacht each tallied two hits.
• Chris Esselman scored three runs.
• Nick Hoffman was the winning pitcher. He gave up four the runs on five hits over five innings.

• Olivet stays in Kentucky tonight and will play Dominican tomorrow. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m.