Softball team sweeps Senior Day doubleheader from Kalamazoo, 3-1 and 3-2

OLIVET, Mich. – Behind solid pitching from senior Carrie Chamberlain and freshman Gracie Boyle and timely hitting from the offense, the Olivet College softball team swept a doubleheader from Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Kalamazoo College, 3-1 and 3-2, this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.

THE BASICS
Final Scores: Olivet 3, Kalamazoo 1; Olivet 3, Kalamazoo 2
Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Olivet 12-22 overall, 3-9 MIAA; Kalamazoo 11-17 overall, 2-10 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)

• The Comets took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first inning. Freshman Payton Watson lined a single to center field, went second on sophomore Nikole Kern's sacrifice bunt and came around to score on a fielding error by the Hornet shortstop on freshman Jazmin Hildebrand's batted ball.
• Kalamazoo immediately answered in the top half of the second inning.
• The score stayed 1-1 until the fifth inning. Sophomore Dominique McKillop led off with a single before crossing the plate on freshman Courtney Willson's triple down the left field line. Willson then scored on an RBI-ground out by Watson.

FOR THE COMETS

• Watson finished the game with two of the four Comet hits.
• Boyle threw 85 pitches, 59 for strikes, to earn the complete game win. She scattered eight hits over the seven innings, while striking out three and not walking a batter.

FOR THE HORNETS

• Nori Seita recorded two hits, including a double.
• Six others each had a hit, with the lone other extra base hit being a double by Andrea MacMichael.
• Seita suffered the pitching loss, allowing the three runs (two earned) in six innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)

• Olivet did all of its scoring in the first inning. Watson led off with a single, advanced to second on Willson's single and scored on senior Taylor Smith's single. On a strikeout, Willson and Smith stole third and second base respectively. Freshman Taylor Shellenberger lined a single to center field to plate both runners.
• The Hornets plated two unearned runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning.
• Kalamazoo loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning. A slowly-hit ball back to the circle resulted in the second out at home and pop out ended the game.

FOR THE COMETS

• The Comets tallied seven hits in the game.
• Watson was 2-for-4, while Shellenberger and Smith were both 2-for-3.
• Shellenberger collected two RBI.
• Wilson had a hit and stole two bases.
• Chamberlain yielded the two unearned runs on four hits, and struck out four batters.

FOR THE HORNETS                                                                                 

• Of the four Kalamazoo hits, MacMichael had the only extra base hit in the game, a triple.
• Erin DuRoss gave up the three runs on seven hits in seven innings. She fanned five and walked two.

UP NEXT

• Olivet is on the road tomorrow to face Adrian College at 1 p.m.