Baseball team sweeps Kalamazoo, 9-6 and 6-3

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College baseball team swept a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader from Kalamazoo College this afternoon on a cold, blustery day at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The Comets withstood a Hornet comeback to win the opener, 9-6, and then won the nightcap, 6-3.

In the first game, Olivet scored two runs in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by senior Jimmy Keenan (Charlotte) and RBI-single by junior Tyler Olinske (Negaunee). The Comets added to their lead with four runs in the second inning. The first run scored on a RBI-single by junior Austin Clark (Ossineke/Alpena), the second on a perfect squeeze play by senior Phil Sullens (Belleville), the third on a double steal and fourth on an error.

Olivet stretched its lead to 7-0 on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Randy Young (Wixom/Walled Lake Western) in the fourth inning. Kalamazoo then sent 12 batters to the plate and scored six runs in the top half of the fifth inning. The Comets added two insurance runs in the seventh inning. Olinske scored on an error by the first baseman and senior Beau Felix (Hartland) drove in the second run on a sacrifice fly.

For the game, Olivet scored its nine runs on nine hits, all singles. Clark was 3-for-4 with a run scored and RBI. Six others each recorded a base hit. Felix and LaFramboise scored two runs apiece. On the mound, senior Brad Beisiegel (Royal Oak) had a no-hitter through the first four innings. He allowed six runs, five earned, on six hits, while striking out four to pick-up his first win of the season. LaFramboise got the final seven outs for the save.

In the second game, the Comets used a two-out rally to score five runs in the fourth inning. Three hits, a walk, followed by three more hits allowed Olivet to push across the five runs. After the Hornets scored twice in the top half of the fifth, the Comets got one run back in the home half of the inning with another two-out rally. Sullens walked, stole second and scored on Keenan's double over the right fielder's head.

Olivet finished the game with nine hits. Keenan went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI. LaFramboise also had two hits, while Sullens scored two runs. On the mound, junior Lee Cline (Mt. Morris) earned the win. He gave up just one earned one run on five hits in five innings. In relief, junior Aaron Campbell (Lansing/Waverly) allowed one run in one and one-third innings, while LaFramboise recorded the final two outs to pick-up the save. He now has four saves this season, which is already tied for third-most in a single-season at Olivet.

The Comets will play Adrian College in their next four-game MIAA series. The teams will play a doubleheader at Adrian's Nicolay Field on Friday, April 8, before the series shifts to Olivet for the final two games on Saturday, April 9. Friday's first pitch is 2 p.m., and Saturday's first pitch is 1 p.m.