Baseball team hangs on for 10-9 win at Alma in season-finale

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team ended its season with a thrilling 10-9 win over Alma College this afternoon at Klenk Park. The Comets broke a 6-6 tie with four runs in the top of eighth before the Scots answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Alma put two runners on base in the ninth but Olivet got out of the jam with an out at third base and flyout.

• Final Score: Olivet 10, Alma 9
• Location: Klenk Park; Alma, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 4-32 overall, 2-20 MIAA; Alma 20-19-1 overall, 15-6 MIAA

• The Comets quicky took an early 4-0 lead in the first inning. Freshman Braden Abbott hit a leadoff single before advancing to second and third on back-to-back wild pitches. Junior Gabriel Kirck brought him home with a single. He went to second on a pitch in the dirt and to third when the third baseman misplayed freshman Will Myrick's batted ball. Kirck came around to score on an RBI-single by sophomore Blake Hawkins. Myrick took second base on the hit, and later stole third base before scoring on a sacrifice fly by freshman Brody Parten. Hawkins swiped second base and hustled around the bases to score on freshman Owen Smith's single.
• With nobody out, the Scots loaded the bases in the home half of the first inning. Olivet got out of the jam with a double play, allowing the runner from third to score, and a groundout.
• In the fourth inning, the Comets tacked on two more runs to extend their advantage to 6-1. Smith reached on an infield single, stole second base and scored on freshman Ray Strzynski's single. Later in the inning, Droste got on base via a fielder's choice. A wild pitch put him into scoring position and Abbott ripped a single up the middle to score Droste.
• Alma answered with four runs in its half of the fourth frame to make the score 6-5.
• The Scots plated one run to level the score in the seventh inning.
• In the top of eighth, the Comets had a single, fielder's choice and hit batter to fill the bases. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Hawkins cleared the bases with a double to left-center field. Sophomore Alex Rose then roped a single to plate Hawkins to make the score 10-6.
• Alma cuts its deficit down to one run with a three spot in the home half of the eighth inning.
• The Scots left the tying and go-ahead runs stranded on base in the ninth inning.

• Olivet totaled 13 hits in the game. Only one hit went for extra bases, and that was Hawkins' double.
• Abbott, Droste, Hawkins and Rose each went 2-for-5.
• Hawkins drove in four runs, while Abbott, Kirck, Parten, Rose, Smith and Strzynski had one RBI apiece.
• Hawkins, Kirck and Myrick each scored two runs.
• On the mound, junior Andrew Vendzuh started and threw three and one-third innings. He allowed four runs on five hits.
• Junior Keegan Kuha tossed three innings of relief, giving up two runs on two hits and five walks.
• Abbott pitched an inning and two-thirds to earn the win.
• Freshman Jacob Jasin threw the ninth inning to pick-up the save.

• Alma recorded 12 hits.
• Avery Carnicom was 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBI.
• Padyn Kesselring and Cameron Bleasdale tallied two hits apiece.
• Bleasdale also drove in two runs.
• Blake Stone was the losing pitcher after surrendering the four runs in the eighth inning.