Baseball: Olivet splits with Trine in final doubleheader of season

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Baseball: Olivet splits with Trine in final doubleheader of season
May 5, 2024

ANGOLA, Ind. – The University of Olivet baseball team closed out the 2024 campaign by splitting a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader against Trine (Ind.) University today at Jannen Field. The Comets won the first game, 4-0, in 12 innings. The Thunder held on to win the nightcap, 12-8.

  • Final Scores: Olivet 4, Trine 0 (12); Trine 12, Olivet 8
  • Location: Jannen Field; Angola, Indiana
  • Records: Olivet 11-27 overall, 5-16 MIAA; Trine 11-27 overall, 3-18 MIAA

  • For the first eight innings, the game was a pitcher's duel between Olivet sophomore Bryan Carney and Trine's Josh Hoogewerf.
  • In the top of the ninth, junior Ben Helgevold reached on a leadoff single. Following a pitching change, the Comets used back-to-back sacrifice bunts to move Helgevold to third base. A flyout ended the inning.
  • The Thunder had a similar situation in the bottom of the ninth, with a runner at third base and two outs. Carney sent the game to extra innings with a groundout.
  • Neither team was able to generate any runs in the 10th and 11th innings.
  • In the top of 12th, senior Matthew Fennell hit a leadoff double down the right field line. A bloop single by sophomore Will Myrick put runners at the corner bases. After a lengthy mound visit, senior Gabriel Kirck deposited the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for a three-run homer. Olivet added another run when freshman Jack Friesen lined an RBI-single to score junior Mason Cook.
  • Trine went down 1-2-3 in the home half of the 12th inning.

  • Olivet recorded 11 hits.
  • Cook was 3-for-5.
  • On the mound, Carney pitched 10 innings, scattered four hits, and struck out 11 batters.
  • Junior Wyatt Leland earned the win in relief. He gave up one hit over the two innings.

  • The Comets scored a run in the top of first inning on an RBI-single by sophomore Braden Abbott.
  • Trine answered with fours in the bottom half of the first, three more runs in the second and a single tally in the fourth to take an 8-1 lead.
  • Olivet used a two-out rally to plate two runs in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded, Kirck lined a double down the right field line to score the runs.
  • The Thunder responded with two runs in the last part of the fifth to stretch their advantage to 12-3.
  • In the top of the seventh, the Comets filled the bases on a walk and two infield singles. Kirck brought home two runs with another down the right field line. Olivet scratched across three more runs and left two runners stranded on base.

  • Olivet totaled nine hits.
  • In his final collegiate game, Kirck was 2-for-3 with two doubles and four RBI.
  • Abbott and freshman Jack Friesen also had two hits apiece.
  • Friesen scored two runs, while Abbott drove in a pair of runs.
  • Sophomore Charlie Quilliam was charged with the pitching loss after giving up seven runs on five hits and two walks over the first two innings.


  • Kirck finishes career at Olivet as one of the all-time best hitters. His career rankings are below:
    • First in home runs (21)
    • First in RBI (119)
    • Second in doubles (36)
    • Second in slugging percentage (.594)
    • Second in fielding percentage (.986)
    • Third in total bases (237)
    • Fourth in fielding changes (878)
    • Fifth in batting average (.336)
    • Fifth in on-base percentage (.425)
  • Kirck also ranks among the single-season leaders this year in:
    • First in RBI (49)
    • Tied for second in home runs (10)
    • Tied for fifth in total bases (86)
    • Sixth in slugging percentage (.632)
  • The last time Olivet played at least 12 innings for a MIAA contest was also a 12-inning game at Alma on April 13, 2007.