Baseball: Droste’s complete game lifts Olivet over Albion, 13-3

OLIVET, Mich. – Sophomore Nate Droste threw a complete game to lead The University of Olivet baseball team to a 13-3 run-rule victory over Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Albion College today at the Cutler Athletic Complex.

• Final Scores: Olivet 13, Albion 3 (7)
• Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 7-14 overall, 1-3 MIAA; Albion 8-13 overall, 0-4 MIAA

• Albion plated the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning.
• The Comets manufactured two runs in their half of the third inning. Junior Ethan VanLannen had a leadoff single and went to second when freshman Jack Friesen walked. Senior Matthew Fennell moved both runners up 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt. Sophomore Will Myrick hit a sacrifice fly to advance the runners, scoring VanLannen and advancing to third base. Senior Gabriel Kirck hit an RBI single to score Friesen.
• Olivet increased its lead to 6-1 with four runs in the fifth inning. A double, walk and infield single loaded the bases. Freshman Austin Alflen was hit by a pitch to bring home the first run. Following a pitching change, sophomore Mason Cook lined the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for what appeared to be a grand slam. After the umpires met, they ruled Cook passed the runner on first base and was called out. The three runs were allowed to stay on the scoreboard.
• A two-out double scored two runs for the Britons in the top of the seventh inning.
• The Comets took advantage of an error to keep their seventh inning alive and pushed across seven runs. Sophomore Braden Abbott led with a single. Back-to-back groundouts moved him to third base. Junior Blake Hawkins ripped an RBI double to score Abbott.
• VanLannen's batted ball was thrown away at first base and allowed Hawkins to hustle around and score from second base. A wild pitch put VanLannen in scoring position. Friesen doubled down the left field line to score VanLannen.
• Following a pitching change, the first pitch from the new pitcher was in the dirt and Friesen scampered to third base. Two straight walks loaded filled the bases. Kirck was hit by a pitch to plate Friesen. Abbott drew a walk on a full count to score Fennell and re-load the bases. After another pitching change, Alflen walked to score Myrick. A wild pitch allowed Kirck to score the final run and end the game early due to the mercy rule.

• For the game, each of Olivet's nine starters reached base safely at least once.
• Abbott and VanLannen posted a multi-hit game with two hits apiece.
• Cook drove in three runs.
• Alflen and Cook each had two RBI.
• Myrick had one official at-bat, as he walked three times.
• Five players – Fennell, Myrick, Abbott, VanLannen and Friesen – each crossed the dish twice.
• Droste threw all seven innings, scattering eight hits and allowing three runs.

• On Friday, the Comets welcome Adrian College to the Cutler Athletic Complex for the first game of a MIAA series. The first pitch is slated for 4 p.m.