Baseball team splits doubleheader at Albion

The Olivet College baseball team split a doubleheader with Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Albion College this afternoon at Frank Joranko Field in Albion. The Comets (6-11, 3-5 MIAA) won the first game, 5-4, and lost the nightcap, 3-2.

Olivet jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a run in the first inning of game one. Senior Stan Cieslak (Troy/Avondale) singled, moved to second on a double steal attempt and scored on a single to the right-center gap by junior Nick McIntosh (Petoskey).

After the Britons (10-9-1, 6-2 MIAA) tied the game at 1-1 in the second, the Comets grabbed the lead back in the third inning. McIntosh was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. Senior Jonathon Van Son (Macomb/H.W. Notre Dame) lined a double to plate McIntosh.

McIntosh extended the Comets' lead to 3-1 with a solo homerun to start the fifth inning. McIntosh led off the seventh inning with a single and advanced to third on a double by Van Son. Freshman Cody Goodell (Davison) brought them home with a double to left-centerfield. Albion scored three runs in its half of the seventh.

For the game, McIntosh was three-for-three with two RBI and three runs scored. Goodell, Van Son, senior Drew Benoit (Climax/Climax-Scotts) and sophomore Michael Katlin (Howell) had two hits a piece. On the mound, junior Brad Dragicevich (Kalamazoo/Central) earned the win as he pitched a complete game, four-hitter.

The first run of the nightcap came in the fourth inning when Van Son blasted a home run over the right field fence. The Britons answered with two runs in the fifth frame. The Comets tied the game with an unearned run in the sixth. Cieslak reached first base on a throwing error, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored when Van Son singled through the right side of the infield.

Albion scored the game-winning run with two outs in the seventh inning. Bryan Smith lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Chris Terry.

Olivet was held to five hits, including two by Van Son. On the mound, junior Brian Schaeffer (Mason) started, pitched five and one-third innings, but did not factor in the decision. Junior Elliott Wilcox (Mattawan) threw one and two-thirds innings out of the bullpen and was charged with the loss.

The Comets' next MIAA series is against Adrian College. On Wednesday, April 5, the teams will play a doubleheader in Olivet at 2 p.m., followed by the doubleheader in Adrian Saturday, April 8, at 1 p.m.