Softball: Comets rally to beat Kenyon, 6-4; lose to Wartburg, 5-2

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Olivet College softball team lost to Wartburg (Iowa) College, 5-2, in its first game before coming from behind to beat Kenyon (Ohio) College, 6-4, in its second game today at the Gene Cusic Classic and in the CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida.

Wartburg jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a pair of unearned runs. The Comets got one run back in the bottom half of the inning when sophomore Ashlynn Grubb hit a single to the left-centerfield gap to score sophomore Kelsey Scheenks.

Olivet tied the game at 1-1 in the third inning. With the bases loaded, freshman Larissa Ludwick hit a ball to the shortstop who threw to third for the out, but plated Scheenks. The Knights took the lead 3-2 in the fifth inning and then added two more unearned runs in the seventh inning.

For the game, the Comets out-hit Wartburg, 7-5, but four Olivet errors led to four unearned Knight runs. Grubb collected three hits in four trips to the plate. Five others each collected one hit. Freshman Delaney Maki was the losing pitcher after scattering the five hits in a complete game performance in the circle.

Kenyon plated a run in the top half of the first inning. Three straight hits – singles by Scheenks, Grubb and freshman Kris Forest – resulted in Olivet pushing across the tying run in the home half of the first inning. The Ladies scored unearned runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 3-1 lead.

Olivet took a 5-3 lead with a four-run, fifth inning. Grubb reached on a fielder's choice and then advanced to third on a double by Forest. After the second out was recorded, freshman Larissa Ludwick walked to load the bases.

Sophomore Molly Renfroe entered the game as a pinch hitter. She drew a walk to bring in Grubb with the first run and re-load the bases. Freshman Madison Spry cleared the bases when she deposited a 0-1 pitch into the right-centerfield alley for a three-run triple.

The Comets added an insurance run in the sixth inning. Senior Ashley Milheim walked to lead off the inning and then went to second on a ground out by Grubb. Forest then lined a double to left field to plate Milheim. Kenyon did not go down quietly in the seventh inning. The Ladies loaded the bases with nobody out. Olivet got out of the job with a pop out for the first out, followed by a sacrifice fly for the second out and another fly out to end the game.

For the game, the Comets recorded a season-high 11 hits. Forest led the way with a 4-for-4 performance with two singles, two doubles and two RBI. Scheenks was 3-for-4. Grubb and Spry had two hits apiece. In the circle, Grubb improved to 2-0 on the young season. She allowed no earned runs on five hits, with three strikeouts.

Olivet will take the day off tomorrow and then be back in action on Sunday morning for two games.