Baseball team drops pair of two-run decisions at Hope

HOLLAND, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team dropped a pair of two-run decisions to Hope College, 4-2 and 7-5, today at Boeve Stadium in Holland.

THE BASICS
Final Scores: Hope 4, Olivet 2; Hope 7, Olivet 5
Location: Boeve Stadium; Holland, Mich.
Records: Hope 15-9 overall, 8-6 MIAA; Olivet 5-21 overall, 2-12 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)

• After a scoreless first three innings, the Flying Dutchmen dented the scoreboard for the first time with three runs in the bottom half of the fourth. The big hit in the inning was a two-run double by Codey Houts.
• The Comets immediately got two runs back in the top half of the fifth inning. Junior Travis Petts walked and advanced to second on a double down the left field line by senior Andrew Dayfield. Both runners came around to score on freshman Dillon Mitchell's single up the middle.
• Hope tacked on an insurance run in its half of the fifth on an RBI-double by Danny Carrasco. The Flying Dutchmen had two runners in scoring position with one out, but Olivet escaped the jam with a strikeout for the second out and pop out for the third out.
• Neither team scored any runs for the rest of the game.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet recorded just three hits in the game – Dayfield's double, Mitchell's single and a single by junior Aiden Holliday to lead off the second inning.
• On the mound, freshman Aaron Gillespie was the hard-luck loser. He gave the four earned runs on five hits in six innings.

FOR THE FLYING DUTCHMEN

• Five different players had a hit, with three being doubles by Carrasco, Houts and Landon Brower.
• Eric Plaehn picked-up the pitching win after yielding two earned runs on three hits, while striking out six in the complete game performance.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)

• In the top half of the first, the first four batters reached base to score two runs. Driving in runs were junior Colton Dawdy and Holliday. After two strikeouts, freshman Matt Rehfeldt hit an RBI-single to plate a third run.
• The Flying Dutchmen answered with three of their own runs in the bottom half of the frame.
• Olivet took the lead back with two tallies in the second inning. Junior Connor Murney and senior Austin Cleaver had back-to-back singles before a wild pitch moved them up a base, and Gillespie drove home Murney on a sac fly and Dawdy hit a single to score Cleaver.
• The score stayed 5-3 until the sixth inning when Hope pushed across four runs to go back on top, 7-5.
• The Comets had the tying runs on base with nobody out in the seventh before a double play and lineout ended the inning.
• In the eighth and ninth innings, Olivet brought the tying run to the plate but failed to score any runs.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet pounded out 12 hits.
• Cleaver went 3-for-5 with a double, two singles and two runs scored.
• Dawdy had two hits and drove in two runs.
• Holliday also collected three hits.
• Murney finished with two hits.
• Freshman Zac Walter started on the mound and lasted six innings to be saddled with the loss. He gave seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits, while striking out five and not walking a batter.
• Freshman Brett Tyndall tossed two scoreless innings of relief and allowed just three hits.

FOR THE FLYING DUTCHMEN

• Hope totaled 13 hits.
• Michael Barnett was 3-for-4, while Carrasco and Trace Slancik had two hits apiece.
• Slancik registered three RBI.
• Clayton Shelbourne earned the pitching win in relief of starter Ty VanWieren. Shelbourne entered the game in the second inning and threw four and one-third innings.
• Matt VanDyken pitched the final three innings to gain his second save of the season.

UP NEXT

• The teams will wrap-up the four-game series Saturday at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet, starting at 1 p.m.