Baseball team splits twinbill with Albion

The Olivet College baseball team split a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) twinbill with Albion College this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. Junior Ryan Hodges (Swartz Creek) drove in senior Eric Quinn (Port Huron/Northern) with the game-winning run, as the Comets won the first game, 3-2, in 11 innings. The Britons salvaged the split by winning the nightcap, 7-3.

In the first game, Olivet (11-12, 9-4 MIAA) scored its first run in the second inning. Freshman Phil Sullens (Belleville) hit a two-out double off the right field fence. Junior Rob Swanson (Marshall) brought him home with a single to centerfield. Albion came back to tie the game with two runs in the third on a two-run single by Abe Belanger.

The Comets tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the fourth inning. Sophomore Matt Smoker (Bronson) walked to lead off the inning and moved to second after Sullens was hit by a pitch. The bases were loaded when Swanson's bunt was thrown high by the Briton pitcher. After an out, junior Brandon Goodman (Portage/Central) reached on an infield single, scoring Smoker.

Both teams left the bases loaded in the seventh and combined to leave 12 runners on base in the fifth through 10th innings. In the 11th inning, Albion had two runners on base with one out but a double play on a fly ball ended its inning. In the home half of the 11th inning, Quinn singled and advanced to second on Goodman's sacrifice bunt. After a groundout, Hodges delivered with his game-winning hit to score Quinn from second base.

For the game, Olivet had 10 hits, including two each by Goodman and Hodges. The extra base hits were doubles by Sullens and junior Scott Purdy (Traverse City/West). On the mound, freshman Brad Beisiegel (Royal Oak) went the first seven and two-thirds innings before handing the ball over to freshman Braydon LaFramboise (Flushing/Mt. Morris). Beisiegel posted a no-decision, yielding two runs on four hits, while striking out seven. LaFramboise improved to 3-1 on the season, allowing just one hit over the final three and one-third innings.

In the nightcap, Albion scored four runs in the first, one run in the third and one more in the fifth to take a 6-0 lead. Olivet got one scoreboard in the bottom half of the fifth inning with a pair of unearned runs. Sullens reached first base on a fielding error and came around to score on a double down the leftfield line by Goodman. Freshman Ben Kosmalksi (Canton/Plymouth) drove in Goodman with a single.

Albion closed its scoring with a run in the sixth. Olivet pushed across its final run in the seventh inning when Kosmalski doubled and scored on a single by Purdy.

Offensively, Goodman and Kosmalski finished with identical stats: two hits, one run scored, one RBI and one double in four at-bats. On the mound, senior Michael Katlin (Howell) was charged with the loss. He gave up five earned runs over two and one-third innings of work. In relief, sophomore Josh Norlock (Warren/Center Line) pitched three and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs on eight hits. Junior Rob Yahrmarkt (Sparta) threw a scoreless seventh inning.

The Comets' next four-game MIAA series is against Calvin College. The teams will play a doubleheader in Grand Rapids on Wednesday; beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader in Olivet is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start. Calvin enters the series with an 11-4 MIAA record.