Baseball team swept by Hope, 2-1 and 4-2, in season finale

The Olivet College baseball team was swept by Hope College this afternoon Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader, 2-1 and 4-2, at Buys Athletic Field in Holland. The Fighting Comets end the season with a 16-22 overall and 8-10 MIAA mark, which puts them in fifth-place in the league standings.

In the first game, Olivet scored first in the second inning. Senior Joe Richards (Galesburg Augusta High School) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. After he moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt and groundout, sophomore Stan Cieslak (Troy Avondale High School) singled him home. The Flying Dutchmen tied the game in the fourth and scored an unearned run in the fifth for the victory.

The Comets were held to five base hits, all singles, and left six runners on base in the game. Senior Josh Kellogg (Morley Stanwood High School) was the hard luck loser, pitching six innings and allowing four hits while striking out five.

In the nightcap, Hope tallied a run in the first inning. Olivet matched that run in the second inning as freshman designated hitter Nick McIntosh (Petoskey High School) scored on a throwing error. The Comets took a 2-1 lead in the third frame when senior Ricky Strain (Livonia Churchill High School) had a RBI double to score junior Ben Thomas (Kalamazoo Comstock High School). Hope took advantage of two Olivet errors in the fourth and sixth innings to tie the game and eventually take the lead.

The Comets were held to just two hits. Defensively, they committed a season-high six errors. Starter junior Dustin Bolt (St. Joseph High School) tossed four innings and allowed five hits. In relief, freshman Zach Langford (Marshall High School) was tagged with the loss.