Baseball team loses to Hope, 10-7

The baseball team fell to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) foe Hope College, 10-7, today in the first game of a weekend series in Olivet. The teams will conclude the series with a doubleheader tomorrow beginning at 1 p.m.

The Flying Dutchmen (20-16, 13-6 MIAA) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a solo home run by Vance Nardin. The Fighting Comets (21-14, 10-9 MIAA) took a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the second inning. Hope tied the game at 2-2 with an unearned run in the top of third inning.

Olivet regained the lead, 5-2, in the bottom half of the third when sophomore Chris Shelhart (Rolling Meadows, Ill./St. Viator) blasted a three-run home run. In the fifth inning, the Dutchmen made the score 5-4 on a two-run home run by Nardin. Hope took a 7-5 lead after tallying three unearned runs on just one hit in the sixth inning.

The Comets cut their deficit to one run in the sixth inning. With two outs, Junior James Melvin (Redford Thurston) walked and scored on a double by junior Jonathon VanSon (Macomb/Notre Dame, H.W.). In the eighth, Olivet tied the game at 7-7 when junior Eddie Jones (Warren/St. Clement) walked with the bases loaded.

Hope scored the winning runs in the ninth inning. The Comets did not go down quietly as they left two runners on base in their half of the ninth.

Olivet out-hit the Dutchmen, 9-8. Shelhart, VanSon and sophomore Nick McIntosh (Petoskey) collected two hits apiece. Shelhart and VanSon had three and two RBIs, respectively. On the mound, senior Dustin Bolt (St. Joseph) started and pitched five and two-thirds innings. He allowed five hits, seven runs (three earned) while striking out four. In relief, sophomore Brad Dragicevich (Kalamazoo/Central) suffered the loss. He pitched three innings, allowing three hits and three earned runs.