Baseball team swept at Oakland, 19-10 and 5-4

The Olivet College baseball team was swept by NCAA Division I foe Oakland University today in a non-conference doubleheader at the OU Baseball Field in Rochester. The two games were contrasting styles, as the Grizzlies won a slugfest for the first game, 19-10, and then won a pitcher's duel in the nightcap, 5-4, in eight innings.

Olivet took an early 6-0 lead in game one with five runs in the first inning and one run in the second inning. The Grizzlies went ahead 8-6 after plating eight runs in the home half of the second inning. The Comets tied the game at 8-8 with a pair of runs in the third inning. Oakland regained the lead at 9-8 with an unearned in the bottom half of the third. Olivet scored its own unearned run in the fourth to level the score at 9-9. The Grizzlies put the game out of reach by scoring nine runs fourth inning.

For the game, senior Eric McCloud (Holly) and junior Phil Sullens (Belleville) each went 2-for-2. McCloud had a single and double, while Sullens recorded two doubles. Junior Ben Kosmalski (Canton/Plymouth) also had two hits. Freshman Randy Young (Wixom/Walled Lake North) collected a team-leading three RBI. Sullens and junior Braydon LaFramboise (Flushing/Mt. Morris) scored two runs apiece.

On the mound, junior Brad Beisiegel (Royal Oak) was charged with the loss, as he threw the first three innings and allowed nine runs on eight hits. Sophomore Aaron Campbell (Lansing/Waverly) gave up just one run in two and one-third innings of relief.

In the nightcap, Olivet took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the first on RBI-singles by junior Beau Felix (Hartland) and senior Brad Sullens (Belleville). Oakland answered with three runs, including a pair of unearned runs, in bottom half of the first. The Comets tied the game at 3-3 when McCloud hit a RBI-double in the fourth frame.

With one out in the sixth and seventh innings, the Grizzlies had the bases loaded but Olivet got out of the jam each inning without allowing the go-ahead run to score. In the seventh, McCloud struck out both batters, including the third out on a called third strike.

In the top half of the eighth, the Comets plated the go-ahead run. Three consecutive singles by junior Jimmy Keenan (Charlotte), LaFramboise and Kosmalski loaded the bases. McCloud then beat out a double play ball to allow Keenan score the run.

In the bottom half of the eighth, the Grizzlies, again, loaded had runners on every base with one out. Dan Gliot then hit a double down the left field line to score the tying and winning runs.

Offensively, Olivet out-hit Oakland, 10-8. Kosmalski led the way, going 3-for-5 with a double and two singles. Felix had two hits, and five others each had a base hit. McCloud drove in two runs. On the mound, freshman Jay Magro (Bridgman) started and threw six innings. He gave up three runs (one earned) on six hits, while striking out four. McCloud was the losing pitcher.

The Comets return to the field tomorrow when they host Aquinas College for a single-game nine-inning game, starting at 4 p.m.