Rally comes up short for baseball team in 8-5 loss to Rochester

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team rallied to score five runs and left the bases loaded in the ninth inning in an 8-5 loss to Rochester College this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.

The Warriors scored three runs in the first inning and three more runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-0 lead, and later added single runs in both the sixth and nine innings to gain the 8-0 lead. The Comets started their rally in the ninth inning when freshman Joey Myers (Holt) walked.

Freshman David Hernandez (Lansing/Eastern) then hit a double in the right-center gap to move Myers to third. Freshman Conner Magro (Bridgman) had a pinch-hit single to score Myers and advance Hernandez to third. Sophomore Anthony Luciano (Metamora/Oxford) was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

After a strikeout, sophomore Joel Peters (Auburn Hills/Avondale) walked to bring in Hernandez and move everyone else up one base. A wild pitch allowed Magro to score and advance Luciano to third and Peters to second. Senior Tyler Olinske (Negaunee) kept the rally going with an RBI-single to plate Luciano.

Sophomore Jonny Zawacki (Alpena) lined a 1-2 pitch into the left-center gap to score Peters with the fifth run. After a pitching change, junior Randy Young (Wixom/Walled Lake Western) hit a single through the right-side of the infield. On the play, Olinske got to third but Zawacki was out when he over-ran second base and did not realize Olinske had stopped at third.

Following a pitching change, Myers walked on four straight pitches to load the bases. Hernandez struck out looking to end the game.

The Comets ended up out-hitting the Warriors, 9-8. Hernandez and Zawacki each had two hits. On the mound, junior Justin Pitt (Imlay City) was charged with the loss. He gave up six runs (five earned) on four hits over four and one-third innings with two strikeouts and six walks.

Freshman Jensen Aubry (Grayling) allowed just one run on one hit in two and two-thirds innings. Freshman Collin McCririe (Brighton) threw a hitless inning of relief. Senior Nick McCleary (Battle Creek/Harper Creek) yielded one run on three hits in an inning.

Olivet will now turn its attention to the final four games of its season. The Comets will travel to play a doubleheader against Kalamazoo College at Homer Stryker Field Friday afternoon at 2 p.m., and then the final two games will be played Saturday in Olivet at 1 p.m.