Felix leads baseball team to sweep against Alma, 12-5 and 6-5

Junior Beau Felix (Hartland) went 7-for-7 at the plate and junior Ben Kosmalski (Canton/Plymouth) hit a walk-off home run in the eighth inning of the nightcap to lead the Olivet College baseball team to a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader sweep over Alma College, 12-5 and 6-5, today at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The teams will complete the four-game league series Saturday at Alma's Klenk Park, starting at 1 p.m.

Overall, Felix reached base safely in all eight of his plate appearances. His seven hits included four doubles and two home runs for a 2.429 slugging percentage. In addition, Felix scored six runs and drove in five runs.

In the first game, the Scots plated four unearned runs in the second inning. Olivet got run back in the bottom half of the second on Felix's leadoff home run. The Comets made the score 4-3 with single runs in the third and fourth on sacrifice flies by senior Eric McCloud (Holly) and freshman Devon Doxey (Climax/Climax-Scotts). Olivet then erupted for five runs in the fifth. Alma scored once in the top half of the sixth before the Comets put the game out of reach by scoring four times in the home half of the sixth.

For the game, every Olivet starter had at least one hit each. Felix was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, as he had a single, two doubles and home run. He also had two RBI and three runs scored. Junior Braydon LaFramboise (Flushing/Mt. Morris) collected two hits and scored twice. McCloud had a double, two RBI and two runs scored. On the mound, junior Brad Beisiegel (Royal Oak) needed 106 pitches to earn the complete game victory. He allowed the five runs (one earned) on five hits.

In the nightcap, Alma took a 4-0 lead with three runs in the first and one more run in the second. The Comets pushed across their first run in the bottom half of the second on senior Brad Sullens' (Belleville) RBI-double. The Scots added to their lead with a run in the third. Olivet chipped away at its deficit, pushing across single tallies in the fourth and sixth innings.

In the seventh, sophomore Austin Clark (Ossineke/Alpena) walked with one out. Senior Josh Norlock (Warren/Centerline) entered the game as a pinch runner. Felix then sent a 1-0 pitch over the fence in right field to tie the game at 5-5. Alma went down in order in the top half of the eighth. The Scots got the first out in the eighth. Kosmalski then hit the game-winning home run on the first pitch he saw.

Offensively, Felix was 3-for-3 with two doubles, one home run, three RBI and three runs scored. Kosmalski and Sullens each had a pair of hits. Freshman Jay Magro (Bridgman) threw the first four and two-third innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits. LaFramboise tossed two and one-third innings of scoreless relief. McCloud pitched one inning for the win.

Following Saturday's games, Olivet will complete its season next week with seven games. The Comets will play a non-conference doubleheader Tuesday at Oakland University and host Aquinas College in a single-game nine-inning game Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. Olivet will then play Trine (Ind.) University in its final league series. The teams will play a doubleheader in Olivet on Friday and a twinbill in Angola on Sunday.