Baseball team falls to Rochester, 5-2, in eight innings

The Olivet College baseball team fell to non-conference foe Rochester College, 5-2, in eight innings this afternoon in Olivet.

Rochester scored its first run in the second inning. The Fighting Comets answered with two runs in bottom of the inning without hitting a ball out of the infield. Junior shortstop Ben Thomas (Kalamazoo/Comstock Park High School) was hit by a pitch to start the inning. He moved to second base on a wild pitch and third base on a passed ball. Junior Matt Hurley (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/White Pines) walked. He stole second base and Thomas scored from third.

Later in the inning, senior Ricky Strain (Livonia Churchill High School) reached base on a fielder's choice and Hurley advanced to third base on the play. Olivet again used a double steal attempt with Hurley scoring on the play.

The Warriors tied the game with an unearned run in the third inning. The game remained tied at 2-2 until Chris Avery hit a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning.

Olivet had four base hits in the game with sophomore Chris Shelhart (Rolling Meadows, Ill./St. Viator) collecting a double and single. Hurley and senior Joe Richards (Galesburg Augusta High School) had a hit apiece. Freshman Zach Langford (Marshall High School) went the distance on the mound, allowing seven hits. He struck out five and walked three.

The Comets are next in action tomorrow and Saturday, April 2-3, when they host Tri-State (Ind.) University for a weekend series. The teams will play a nine-inning game tomorrow at 3 p.m., followed by two seven-inning contests on Saturday at 1 p.m.