Baseball: Olivet splits two games in Rantoul
March 2, 2024
RANTOUL, Ill. – The University of Olivet baseball team split two games at the Rantoul Family Sports Complex. The Comets defeated Elmhurst (Ill.) University, 14-4, before falling to Lawrence (Wis.) University, 21-5. Both games ended after seven innings due to the run-rule.
- Final Score: Olivet 14, Elmhurst 4 (5)
- Location: Rantoul Family Sports Complex; Rantoul, Illinois
- Records: Olivet 2-2 overall, Elmhurst 0-1 overall
- Elmhurst scored two runs in the top of first inning. Olivet got one run back in the third when junior Ethan VanLannen drove home junior Brendan Monroe who led off the inning with a triple.
- The Comets took a 3-2 lead when freshman Jack Friesen hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning.
- The Blue Jays grabbed the lead back with a pair of runs in the fifth.
- Olivet then exploded for six runs in the sixth and five more runs in the seventh.
- For the game, Olivet totaled 12 hits.
- Sophomore Braden Abbott was 3-for-4 with four RBI.
- Monroe also tallied three hits and three runs scored.
- Freisen finished with two hits, two RBI and two runs.
- Sophomore Antonio Biggs earned the win in relief of starting pitcher Keegan Kuha.
- Biggs threw two and one-third scoreless innings.
- Final Score: Lawrence 21, Olivet 5 (7)
- Location: Rantoul Family Sports Complex; Rantoul, Illinois
- Records: Olivet 2-3 overall, Lawrence 4-1 overall
- The Vikings raced out to a 10-0 lead behind three runs in the first, two runs in the second and five runs in the third.
- Olivet scored a run in the home half of the third on an RBI-ground out by senior Gabriel Kirck.
- Both teams pushed across a run in the fifth.
- Lawrence needed only three hits to plate seven runs in the sixth inning to stretch its lead to 18-2.
- After the Vikings scored three more runs in the top half of the seventh inning, the Comets answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame.
- Olivet tallied 13 hits.
- Friesen, Kirck, junior Blake Hawkins and junior Ben Helgevold and freshman Brody Lehman each had two hits.
- Hawkins collected two RBI.
- Sophomore Bryan Carney was the losing pitcher.
- Olivet stays in Rantoul tonight to play Wisconsin Lutheran College tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. ET.