Baseball team sweeps Wisconsin Lutheran, 7-4 and 8-0

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Behind timely hitting and solid starting pitching, the Olivet College baseball team swept a doubleheader from Wisconsin Lutheran College, 7-4 and 8-0, this afternoon at Terry Park in Fort Myers, Florida. Sophomore Brendan Redding pitched the first five innings in game one, and freshman Ty Metzger threw a complete game, four-hitter in game two.

Final Score: Olivet 7, Wisconsin Lutheran 4; Olivet 8, Wisconsin Lutheran 0
Location: Terry Park; Fort Myers, Florida
Records: Olivet 2-6 overall, Wisconsin Lutheran 0-2 overall

• The Comets dented the scoreboard for the first time in the third inning. Junior John Kortz walked and went to third base on senior Aaron Gillespie's single down the left field line. A groundout moved Gillespie into scoring position. Senior Brandan Settles brought both runners home with a double.
• The Warriors pushed across four runs in the top of fifth to take a 4-2 lead.
• Olivet loaded the bases on a single, hit by pitch and single in the home half of the fifth inning. Senior Riley Bennett's groundout scored sophomore Matt Hewitt. Settles was intentionally walked to re-load the bases. Freshman James Harris hit an RBI-single down the right field line to score Kortz and fill the bases, again. A squeeze bunt by Metzger scored Gillespie with the go-ahead run.
• The Comets added two insurance runs on sacrifice flies by Kortz and Gillespie in the bottom half of the sixth inning.
• Wisconsin Lutheran brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning but failed to score any runs.

• Gillespie and Hewitt finished the game with two hits apiece. Both also scored two runs.
• Settles drove in two runs.
• Redding gave up four runs (two earned) on six hits to earn the win.
• Senior Huston Snyder tossed a hitless sixth inning, and Gillespie threw a scoreless seventh inning to pick-up the save.

• Spencer Michaelis notched two of the seven Wisconsin Lutheran hits from the leadoff spot in the lineup. One of the hits was a double, and he had two RBI.
• Dylan Knoespel was charged with the pitching loss, as he surrendered five earned runs on six hits over the first five innings.

• Batting as the visiting team, the Comets scored two runs in the third inning. Kortz walked on four pitches, stole second and came around to score on Gillespie's double. Gillespie crossed the plate when the Warrior shortstop threw the ball away on Settles' batted ball.
• Olivet added its lead with a three-run fourth inning. Metzger led off with a single, stole second and scored on a triple by senior Logan Sella. Sella then scored on a wild pitch. After an out was recorded, Hewitt singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and crossed the plate on Kortz's single down the left field line.
• The Comets pushed across three runs in the top half of the seventh

• Metzger threw a complete game, four-hitter to earn the pitching win. He also helped his own cause at the plate with two hits and two runs.
• Hewitt also collected two hits.
• As a team, Olivet stole 10 bases.

• Four players had a base hit, with the lone extra base hit being a double by Matthew Schulenburg.
• On the mound, Jake Wiedower started and went the first six innings to be charged with the loss. He gave up five runs on eight hits.

• The Comets are off tomorrow and will head north to Auburndale for four games at the RussMatt Invitational. Olivet plays Becker (Mass.) College Tuesday morning. First pitch at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex is 9:15 a.m.