Baseball team splits doubleheader at Kalamazoo

The baseball team split a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader this afternoon at Kalamazoo College. After losing the first game, 5-2, the Fighting Comets bounced back to win the nightcap, 14-3. The teams will complete the three-game MIAA series tomorrow with a nine-inning game, beginning at 4 p.m.

In the first game, Olivet (17-13, 6-8 MIAA) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of first inning. With one out, Senior Ben Thomas (Kalamazoo/Comstock) walked. He scored on back-to-back singles by sophomore Nick McIntosh (Petoskey) and junior Jonathon VanSon (Macomb/Notre Dame H.W.). The Hornets (7-17, 2-12 MIAA) grabbed the lead back with three runs in their half of the first inning.

The Comets made the score 3-2 with an unearned run in the fourth inning. Sophomore Derek Ott (Kawakawlin/Bay City Western) doubled home junior Chip Paddock (Galesburg Augusta), who reached base on an error. Kalamazoo answered the Olivet run with two unearned runs in the bottom of fourth.

For the game, the Comets had five hits, including two by Ott. Senior Dustin Bolt (St. Joseph) was tagged with the loss after pitching a complete game, six-hitter. He allowed six hits and two earned runs while striking out nine batters.

In the nightcap, Olivet again took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Junior Drew Benoit (Climax-Scotts) tripled to start the game and scored on a RBI-single by junior Chris Shelhart (Rolling Meadows, Ill./St. Viator). Kalamazoo took a 2-1 lead with a pair of unearned in its half of the first frame.

The Comets tied the score at 2-2 in the second inning. Olivet then sent 12 batters to the plate, ripped eight hits and scored eight runs in the third inning. In the inning, McIntosh hit a two-run home run to drive in the first two runs and a RBI-triple to plate the last run. Junior Eddie Jones (Warren/St. Clement) had a two-run single.

Paddock blasted a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning. The Comets closed the scoring with a run in the fifth and two more runs in the sixth.

Olivet tallied 20 base hits. Jones, Paddock and Shelhart had three hits apiece. Jones' hits were two doubles and a single. Paddock had two singles and home run. Shelhart also had a pair of singles to go along with a triple. McIntosh finished the day with four RBIs while Jones had three RBIs. Sophomore Nate Rann (Laingsburg) collected two hits.

On the mound, freshman Adam Bassett (Bellevue) picked-up the win. He started and pitched five innings. In relief, sophomore Brad Dragicevich (Kalamazoo/Central) and junior Blake Dunseth (Olivet/Coldwater) each pitched an inning.

Following tomorrow's game, Olivet will travel to Albion College for a MIAA series Thursday-Friday, April 28-29. The nine-inning game is Thursday at 4 p.m., followed by a doubleheader Friday beginning at 1 p.m.