Softball team swept by Hope, 9-8 and 11-0

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College softball team was swept by Hope College in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader today inside the Cutler Athletic Complex. In the first game, the Comets rallied from down 6-1 to take an 8-6 lead before falling 9-8 in eight innings. The Flying Dutch won the nightcap, 11-0, in five innings.

Final Scores: Hope 9, Olivet 8 (8); Hope 11, Olivet 0 (5)
Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Michigan
Records: Olivet 0-10 overall, 0-6 MIAA; Hope 10-4 overall, 6-0 MIAA

• The Flying Dutch scored three runs in the top of the third inning.
• The Comets got one run back in the home half of the third when sophomore catcher Erin Brady blasted a solo home run over the right field fence for her first collegiate homer.
• Hope added three more runs in the fourth inning to go up 6-1.
• Olivet pushed across three runs in the bottom half of the fourth to close the gap 6-4. With the bases loaded, sophomore Jessica Barnes ripped a single up the middle to score two runs. Brady walked to re-load the bases. Senior Paige Poulter then hit a sacrifice fly in foul territory to plate the third run.
• The Comets tied the game with in the fifth inning. After back-to-back singles to start the inning, junior Karina Marin lined a double to the left-center gap to score the first runner advance another runner to third. Following a pitching change, an RBI-ground out off the bat of sophomore Kaitlyn Horstdaniel scored the second run.
• Olivet took an 8-6 lead with a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Back-to-back infield singles put two runners on base, and a wild pitch put both in scoring position. Junior Kaylee Clothier lined an RBI-single through the left side of the infield to score Poulter with the go-ahead run and move senior Kassidy Zmikly to third base. A ground-out by freshman Sarah Shevenell scored Zmikly.
• Hope scored two runs in the top of seventh. After the second run scored, the Flying Dutch had the bases loaded with one out. The Comets escaped the inning with an infield pop out, and a strikeout.
• Olivet was retired 1-2-3 in the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.
• In the eighth inning, Hope used a leadoff single, stolen base and single to push across what proved to be the game-winning run.
• The Comets left the tying run stranded on base in the bottom of eighth.

• Olivet recorded a season-high 12 hits, as seven of the nine starters recorded at least one hit and eight different players scored a run.
• From the leadoff spot in the lineup, Poulter was 3-for-4.
• Clothier, Marin and Shevenell each had two hits.
• In the circle, Shevenell was the tough-luck loser. She gave up nine runs (seven earned) on 13 hits, with five strikeouts, in the complete game performance.

• Hope tallied 13 hits.
• Jo Cook was 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored.
• Megan Soderbloom and Claire Bates each had two hits.
• Soderbloom and Peyton Benjamin collected two RBI apiece.
• Three pitchers participated in the game. Soderbloom started and tossed four innings, allowing six earned runs on eight innings. Alaina Adams gave up two runs on three hits over the next two innings. Avery Slancik pitched the final two innings to be credited with the win.

• The Flying Dutch scored four runs in the first inning, five runs in the third and two runs in the fourth for their 11-0 win.

• Olivet was held to two hits, a single by Marin in the first inning and a single by Brady in the fifth inning.
• Freshman Katie Lenz suffered the pitching loss after yielding eight runs (five earned) on eight hits over the first two and one-third innings.
• Shevenell finished the game in the circle, and gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits.

• Hope totaled 13 hits, with seven doubles and one triple.
• Five players had a multi-hit game.
• Cook and Haley Bennett each hit two doubles.
• Cook, Soderbloom and Bre Nolan finished with two RBI apiece.
• Slancik needed only 42 pitches to throw her five innings and earn the pitching win.

• The Comets welcome Adrian College to the Cutler Athletic Complex next Tuesday, April 6, for two games, starting at 3 p.m.