Baseball team sweeps Alma, 18-1 and 10-8

The baseball team swept a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader from Alma College today in Olivet. The Fighting Comets (12-10, 4-5 MIAA) cruised to an 18-1 victory in the first game and hung on for a 10-8 win in the nightcap.

In the first game, Olivet scored five runs in the first and second innings, added six runs in the third inning and closed the scoring with two runs in the fifth inning. Sophomore Evan Williams (Detroit/Notre Dame, H.W.) pitched a complete game, one-hitter while striking out seven Alma batters. The run that he gave up was unearned.

Olivet used 20 different position players in the game. At the plate, junior Jonathon VanSon (Macomb/Notre Dame, H.W.) and sophomores Nick McIntosh (Petoskey) and Chris Shelhart (Rolling Meadows, Ill./St. Viator) had three hits apiece. Junior James Melvin (Redford Thurston) collected a team-high five RBIs, including three on a home run in the third inning. McIntosh and VanSon each had three RBIs.

In the nightcap, the Comets jumped out to an 8-0 lead after four innings. The Scots (4-7, 4-5 MIAA) rallied back to score six runs in their half of the fifth inning. In the bottom of fifth, Olivet tallied two runs. Alma scored a run in the sixth and seventh innings.

Junior Eddie Jones (Warren/St. Clement) had three base hits, including a double. Junior Drew Benoit (Climax-Scotts) had two hits, scored three times and stole three bases. Junior Stan Cieslak (Troy Avondale) also collected two hits. Benoit, Cieslak and Jones drove in three runs each.

On the mound, freshman Adam Bassett (Bellevue) earned the win, pitching four and two-thirds innings. He allowed three hits and four unearned runs. Sophomore Brian Schaeffer (Mason) pitched the ninth inning to pick-up the save.

The Comets will next be in action tomorrow afternoon when they host Finlandia University for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.