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Baseball: Kirck’s record-breaking home run lifts Olivet past Trine, 4-2

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Baseball: Kirck’s record-breaking home run lifts Olivet past Trine, 4-2
May 3, 2024

OLIVET, Mich. – Senior Gabriel Kirck hit a three-run homer in the first inning, as The University of Olivet baseball team began a three-game series against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Trine (Ind.) University with a 4-2 win this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex. After the game, the Comets recognized their six seniors who played in their final home game.

  • Final Score: Olivet 4, Trine 2
  • Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Michigan
  • Records: Olivet 10-26 overall, 4-15 MIAA; Trine 10-26 overall, 2-17 MIAA

  • The Comets wasted no time in jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Senior Matthew Fennell led off the first inning with a triple to the left-center field gap. Freshman Nate Droste walked to put runners on the corners. Kirck unloaded the bases with a home run deep over the right field fence. With the homer, he broke the Olivet career record for both home runs (20) and RBI (112).
  • The Thunder scored their first run in the fifth inning.
  • Olivet got that run back in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Austin Alflen hit a one-out double and came around to score on sophomore Will Myrick's single down the right field line.
  • Trine plated its last run in the ninth. The Thunder brought the tying run to the dish but a groundout back to the pitcher ended the game.

  • For the game, Olivet totaled nine hits, with seniors recording five of the nine.
  • Fennell was 2-for-4 with a triple and single.
  • Making only his second start of the season, senior Logan O'Connor had two hits, including a double.
  • Three seniors combined to throw nine innings. Keegan Kuha started on the mound and allowed one run on five hits over seven and two-thirds inning to earn his fifth win of the season. Andrew Vendzuh recorded the final out of the eighth and the first out of the ninth. Dalton Giddings gave up the ninth inning run but tallied the last two outs for the save.

  • The previous records for home runs and RBI were 19 and 109 by Chris Shelhart from 2004-07.
  • Kirck had only one RBI during his freshman season, so he has hit 20 home runs and driven in 111 runs in just three seasons.

  • The Comets and Thunder finish the series on Sunday with a doubleheader at Jannen Field in Angola, Indiana, starting at 1 p.m.