Baseball team swept by Hope, 5-1 and 13-10

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team was swept by Hope College in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The Flying Dutchmen won the first game, 5-1. In the nightcap, the teams then combined for 23 runs and 32 hits, and Hope won 13-10.

In game one, Hope took a 1-0 lead with a run in the top half of the first inning. Olivet tied it at 1-1 with a run in the third inning. Senior Tyler Olinske (Negaunee) and sophomore Andrew Engle (Greenville) led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and both moved up one base on a sacrifice bunt from freshman Drew Thompson (Canton/Plymouth). A balk by the Flying Dutchmen allowed Olinske to score the tying run.

Hope scored a run in each the fifth and sixth innings and two runs in the seventh inning to make the score 5-1. The Comets had a base runner in the sixth and seventh, but a double play ended each inning.

Olivet was held to just four hits, the two singles in the third and singles by sophomore Joel Peters (Auburn Hills/Avondale) and senior Austin Clark (Ossineke/Alpena). On the mound, sophomore Jake Ball (Cadillac) was charged with the loss, as he threw the first six innings and allowed two earned runs on six hits. Senior Sean Alexander (Fenton) tossed an inning of relief.

The Flying Dutchmen appeared to take control early in game two, as they scored three runs in the first inning and six runs in the second inning for a commanding 9-0 lead. In the bottom of second, the Comets sent 14 batters to the plate and pushed across nine runs after two outs were recorded.

Clark led off the inning with a double and after a fly out, he went to third on a single from freshman Peter Panos (Davison). A groundout scored Clark and advanced Panos to second. Following a walk to freshman Conner Magro (Bridgman), sophomore Jonny Zawacki (Alpena) hit an RBI-single to Panos.

Peters, junior Randy Young (Wixom/Walled Lake Western) and junior Andrew Brawley (Niles) each drove in a run with singles. After a pitching change, Clark walked to load the bases. Freshman Joey Myers (Holt) kept the rally going with a single to score Young and Brawley.

Panos had his second hit in the inning to re-load the bases. Olinske came through with a single to plate Clark and Myers. After another pitching change, the rally ended with a lineout.

Hope came right back with two unearned runs in the third inning and another run in the fifth for a 12-9 lead. Olivet got one run back in its half of the fifth when Clark hit his second double of the game to score Zawacki, who started the inning with a single. The Comets had the tying runs in scoring position in the sixth but failed to score.

The Flying Dutchmen added an insurance run in the top half of the seventh. Olivet did not go down quietly in the seventh, as the tying run came to the plate. Hope turned a double play to end the rally.

Offensively, the Comets finished the game with 16 hits, with 8-of-9 starters having at least one hit or one run scored. Young and Zawacki led the way with three hits apiece. Zawacki was on base in 4-of-5 plate appearances. Brawley, Clark, Olinske and Panos had two hits each.

On the mound, junior Kyle Fisher (Vermontville/Maple Valley) tossed the first inning and two-thirds, allowing nine runs (four earned) on nine hits, but did not factor in the decision. Junior Justin Pitt (Imlay City) suffered the loss, as he gave up two unearned runs on four hits in an inning and one-third. Alexander and Brawley each threw two innings of relief.

Olivet travels to Grand Rapids next Wednesday, April 11, for a non-conference, nine-inning game at Aquinas College. Game time is 2 p.m.