Baseball team splits doubleheader at Alma

ALMA, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team split a doubleheader against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Alma College this afternoon at Klenk Park in Alma. Behind a complete game shutout pitching performance by freshman Aaron Gillespie, the Comets won the opener, 1-0. The Scots salvaged the split by scoring two runs in the eighth to win the nightcap, 5-4.

THE BASICS
Final Scores: Olivet 1, Alma 0; Alma 5, Olivet 4
Location: Klenk Park; Alma, Mich.
Records: Alma 13-25 overall, 11-15 MIAA; Olivet 8-30 overall, 5-21 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)

• The Comets took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Freshman Dillon Mitchell led off the frame with the first Comet hit of the game. He advanced to second on a ground out and came around to score on freshman Alex Parthum's single into left field.
• In the bottom of the seventh, the Scots loaded the bases with one out. Olivet escaped the jam by getting the second out at the plate and a ground out for the third out.

FOR THE COMETS

• Gillespie gave up seven hits, struck out five and did not walk a batter, while throwing 93 total pitches.
• Olivet had only four hits – a triple by senior Austin Cleaver, a single by senior Andrew Dayfield and the two aforementioned hits in the third inning.
• Defensively, Dayfield threw out a runner trying to steal second base and picked-off a runner at first base.

FOR THE SCOTS

• Greg Goffee notched two hits.
• Five others each had one, and all seven hits for the Alma were singles.
• Alex Valasek allowed the run in his own complete game pitching performance. He struck out six and walked one.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)

• The Comets wasted no time in taking a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top half of the first inning. Cleaver lined the first pitch of the game up the middle for a single. He went to second on a passed ball and crossed the plate on Gillespie's double down the left field line. Gillespie advanced to third base on foul out before scoring on a double the right-center filed gap by sophomore Gary Tompkins III.
• The Scots responded with two runs in their half of the second inning to level the score at 2-2.
• Olivet grabbed the lead back, 4-2, in the third inning. Cleaver drew a walk on a full count and went to third on Gillespie's double. Both runners came around to score on Parthum's double.
• Alma got one run back in the bottom half of the fifth inning.
• In the eighth, the Scots pushed across two runs to take a 5-4 lead. The first two batters reached on a walk and hit by pitch to start the eighth inning. A passed ball moved them both up a base. After an out was recorded, another batter was hit to load the bases. Dayfield came into the game to pitch for the Comets. He struck out Adam Thoryk on a called third strike before an infield single by Max Trucks brought in the tying run. Ben Finzel drew a walk to plate the go-ahead run. A fly out ended the inning.
• The Comets were sent down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet totaled 10 hits in the game.
• Gillespie was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored. 
• Tompkins III and junior Aiden Holliday each had two hits, including a double.
• Holliday started on the mound and lasted four innings. He gave up three runs on nine hits, but did not factor in the decision.
• Junior Joseph Crosby suffered the loss after giving two runs on one hit in 3.1 innings.

FOR THE SCOTS

• Seven of nine starters recorded a hit.
• Alex Peczynski batted 3-for-4.
• Trucks, Jerome Jackson and Vann Acker tallied two hits apiece.
• Acker scored two runs.
• Mike Mallory threw all nine innings to earn the win.

BEYOND THE NUMBERS

• With his triple in game one, Cleaver broke the single-season school record with his fifth three-bagger in 2017. The previous record was four by Kevin Staniszewski in 1990, Jimmy Worley in 2000, Chris Shelhart in 2006 and Erik McCloud in 2009.
• Gillepsie now has 14 doubles this season to tie the single-season mark. Also hitting 14 two-baggers were Beau Locker in 2003, Brandon Goodman in both 2008 and 2009, and Austin Clark in 2012.
• Gillespie also has 58 hits in 2017, which is the fourth-most in school history. The record is 62 by Locker in 2003. His 84 total bases is tied for fifth-most.

UP NEXT

• Olivet wraps-up its season tomorrow with a home doubleheader against the Scots. First pitch from game one of the doubleheader at the Cutler Athletic Complex is scheduled for 1 p.m.