Baseball team splits doubleheader at Hope

The Olivet College split a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader today at Hope College. The Comets (12-23, 9-17 MIAA) won the first game, 9-7, and lost the nightcap, 11-9. The teams will play a doubleheader in Olivet tomorrow, beginning at 1 p.m.

In the first game, Olivet scored a run in the first inning on a RBI single by junior Nick McIntosh (Petoskey). The Comets sent 11 batters to the plate and tallied seven runs in the second inning. With the bases loaded, junior Chris Shelhart (Rolling Meadows, Ill./St. Viator) cleared the bases on a double. Also in the inning, senior Jonathon Van Son (Macomb/H.W. Notre Dame) hit a two-run home run.

The Flying Dutchmen (24-14, 19-7 MIAA) got one run back in the bottom half of the second and two more in the fifth inning. McIntosh extended the Olivet lead to 9-3 with a solo home run in the sixth inning. After scoring four runs in its half of the sixth inning, Hope went down in order in the seventh.

At the plate, McIntosh, Shelhart and freshmen Paul Flynn (Traverse City/West) and Scott Purdy (Traverse City/West) each had two hits. Shelhart scored two times, while seven other starters scored a run a piece. On the mound, sophomore Adam Bassett (Bellevue) picked-up the win. He allowed six hits and six runs in five and one-third innings. In relief, sophomore Ed O'Brien (Stockbridge) earned his first collegiate save, pitching one and two-third innings.

In the nightcap, Olivet scored two runs in both the second and third innings. Hope tied the game at 4-4 with three runs in its half of the third and one run in the fourth. The Comets grabbed a 6-4 lead on a two-run single by Van Son in the fifth inning. The Dutchmen tallied a run in the fifth and erupted for six runs in the sixth inning. Olivet ended its scoring with two runs in the seventh.

At the plate, McIntosh was 3-for-4 with two singles and a double. Junior Michael Katlin (Howell) had two doubles. He and senior Stan Cieslak (Troy/Avondale) each scored two times. Freshman Brian St. Hilaire (Grosse Pointe Woods/South) drove in three runs. On the mound, junior Elliot Wilcox (Mattawan) was charged with the loss as he pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief, allowing four runs on three hits. Freshman Mark Sherrod (Jackson) started and pitched five innings. He gave up seven runs on eight base hits.