Baseball team falls to Adrian, 16-4

The Olivet College baseball team fell to Adrian College, 16-4, this afternoon in the final game of its Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association series. Yesterday, the two teams split a doubleheader.

The Fighting Comets fell behind 10-0 after five innings. Olivet scored its first run in the sixth inning. Freshman right fielder Chris Shelhart (Rolling Meadows, Ill./St. Viator) walked to lead off the inning and scored on a double by senior center fielder Beau Locker (Coldwater/Union City High School).

The Comets sent nine batters to the plate and added three unearned runs in the seventh inning. Junior catcher Brian Grappin (Flushing High School) drove in two runs with a bases loaded single. The Bulldogs put the game out of reach with six runs, one earned, over the next two innings.

For the game, Locker, Shelhart and senior left fielder Ricky Strain (Livonia Churchill High School) had two hits apiece. Shelhart was two-for-two with two runs scored. Freshman Brad Dragicevich (Kalamazoo Central High School) suffered the loss on the mound. He pitched the first three and one-third innings, allowing eight hits and six runs (four earned).

The Comets will travel for a non-league doubleheader at Rochester College on Thursday, April 1. The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m. Olivet will host a three-game series against Tri-State (Ind.) University this Friday-Saturday, April 2-3. The two teams will play a nine-inning game on Friday at 3 p.m. with two seven-inning contests on Saturday at 1 p.m.