Alflen’s single helps UOlivet walk-off against Hope, 2-1, in series opener

OLIVET, Mich. – Sophomore Austin Alflen drove in senior Mikey Kuzara with the winning run, as The University of Olivet baseball team walked-off with a 2-1 victory over Hope College in the first game of a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) weekend series this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Olivet 2, Hope 1
• Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 7-19 overall, 3-6 MIAA; Hope 6-20 overall, 1-7 MIAA

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• For the first six innings, the game was a pitcher's duel between Hope's Mason Belmore and Olivet junior Bryan Carney. The Flying Dutchmen took a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning when Jace DeMann launched a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left field.
• The Comets answered in the eighth inning. After the first out was recorded, junior Tyler Duncan roped a single to left field. Junior Nate Droste lined a double into the right-center field gap and Duncan hustled around the bases to score the tying run.
• Hope's second batter of the ninth inning reached base before he was thrown out trying to steal second base. The next batter singled through the right side of the infield. The third out was recorded on a hard line caught by Droste at second base.
• Kuzara led off the ninth with a single. On the play, the Flying Dutchmen second baseman threw the ball out of play, giving second base to Kuzara. Sophomore Jack Friesen walked on four pitches. Junior Brody Parten executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Kuzara to third base and Friesen to second base. With the infield drawn in, Alflen poked a sharply hit ball into left-center field to score Kuzara.

FOR THE COMETS

• Carney threw the complete game, three-hitter to earn the win. He struck out 13 batters, throwing 130 total pitches.
• At the plate, Olivet had eight hits. Alflen and Kuzara each went 2-for-4.

UP NEXT

• The Comets and Flying Dutchmen finish the series tomorrow with a doubleheader at Hope's Boeve Stadium, starting at 1 p.m.

Nate Droste lines a double to the right-center field gap to score Tyler Duncan with the tying run against Hope. #GoCOMETS | #UONation | #d3baseball pic.twitter.com/7XOMjfC1Qb

— The University of Olivet Athletics (@OlivetAthletics) April 11, 2025

WALK-OFF!!! Austin Alflen pokes the ball through the infield to score Mikey Kuzara with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth! The @UOlivetBaseball team beats the Flying Dutchmen, 2-1. #GoCOMETS | #UONation | #d3baseball | @d3Playbook pic.twitter.com/ie5OEn9SWN

— The University of Olivet Athletics (@OlivetAthletics) April 11, 2025

Bryan Carney threw a complete game, 3-hitter and struck out 13 batters in the @UOlivetBASEBALL team's 2-1 win over Hope. The 13 K's are the second-most by an UOlivet pitcher since the 2001 season. #GoCOMETS | #UONation | #d3baseball pic.twitter.com/vtlkIZkFH0

— The University of Olivet Athletics (@OlivetAthletics) April 11, 2025