Softball team ends season with doubleheader split against Kalamazoo

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College softball team ended its season by splitting a home doubleheader with Kalamazoo College today on Senior Day at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The Comets lost the first game, 12-8, and behind a complete game, two-hitter by sophomore Breanne Harmon (Quincy), they bounced back to win the nightcap, 12-0.

In the opener, Kalamazoo pushed across three runs in the top half of the third inning. Olivet answered with a two-out rally to four runs in its half of the fourth. Junior Bridget Lathers (Grass Lake/Lumen Christi) doubled and sophomore Lindsey Maas (Pinckney) walked to start the inning. A groundout moved each up one base. Another groundout by freshman Alyssa Nielsen (Greenville) scored Lathers and advanced Maas to second base.

Sophomore Ciara Santos (Lansing/Everett) hit a single to score Maas. After a wild pitch moved Santos to second, junior Brooke Coshow (Niles/Brandywine) had a single to put runners on the corners. Freshman Terri Hurosky (Nashville/ Maple Valley) came into the game to run for Coshow. She stole second base. Freshman Lauren Lenard (Dimondale/ Lansing Catholic) dropped a base hit into right field, scoring Santos and Hurosky.

The Comets added to their lead with a pair of runs in the fourth. Senior Katelyn Boss (Charlotte/Maple Valley) was hit by a pitch; Maas hit a single and senior Jenny Robbins (Fenton) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Nielsen drove a single into left to score Boss and re-load the bases. Santos lined a single through the left-side of the infield to score Maas.

The Hornets got those runs back in the fifth inning on a two-run by Jacque Garrison and took a 10-6 lead with a five-run sixth inning. Olivet pushed across two runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Santos hit a 1-1 offering over the fence in the left field, and junior Kelsey Greene (Burr Oak) had a RBI-single later in the inning. Kalamazoo closed the scoring with two unearned runs in the seventh.

The Comets finished the game with 13 hits. Coshow was 3-for-4. Santos also had three hits to go along with two runs scored and three RBI. Maas and Nielsen each collected two hits, while Maas scored twice. Senior Katie Harper (Vassar) went the distance in the circle, allowing seven earned runs on 12 hits with four strikeouts.

In the nightcap, Olivet did all of its damage in the second inning. The first 13 batters reached base safely and 12 runs were scored. Coshow got it all started with a walk and went to second on a single by Lenard. Greene drove in Coshow with a single. Lathers was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Maas cleared the bases with a sharply hit single into the left-centerfield.

Nielsen walked and Robbins was hit by a pitch to re-load the bases. Hurosky hit a double to score Maas and Nielsen. Santos walked to fill the bases for the third time in the inning. Coshow drew a walk to score Robbins. After a pitching change, Lenard drove in Hurosky and Santos. Greene had her second hit in the inning, a RBI-double to score Coshow. Lathers ended the hit parade with a double to score Greene.

Meanwhile, Harmon was perfect through the first three innings and needed just 67 pitches in earning her second shutout of the season. She struck out seven and did not walk a batter.  Offensively, Lenard was 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored. Greene had two hits. Four others each had a hit.

The Comets finish the season with a 14-21 overall record. Lenard led the team with a .356 batting average, and Coshow was close behind with a .343 average. Also hitting better than .300 were Greene and Maas at .322 and .315, respectively.