Softball team brooms Albion, 5-1 and 10-3

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College softball team remained in contention for a spot in the four-team Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament by sweeping a doubleheader from Albion College this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The Comets won by scores of 5-1 and 10-3.

Olivet wasted no time scoring in the opener, as it plated a run in the bottom half of the first inning. Junior Ashley Milheim (Eaton Rapids) walked, stole second base, and went to third base on a throwing error by the Briton catcher and scored on a ground out by senior Lauren Lenard (Dimondale/Lansing Catholic).

The Comets added another run in the second inning on an RBI-double by freshman Jessica Palumbo to score senior Alyssa Nielsen (Greenville). Olivet scored two more runs in the fifth inning. Freshman Christine Wood (East Lansing/Haslett) led off with a single, stole second and then scored when Milheim laced an inside-the-park home run down the right field line.

Another Albion error allowed the Comets to plate their fifth run in the sixth inning. The Britons scored their only run in the seventh inning after Alex Yaw drew a bases-loaded walk.

For the game, Olivet had seven hits, including a 2-for-3 performance by Palumbo. Nielsen and sophomore Maddy Siebenmark (Bridgman) both went 1-for-1 with a run scored. Freshman Ashlynn Grubb (LaGrange, Ind./Lakeland) started in the circle and threw the first six innings, allowing only two hits. Sophomore Kaitlyn Pirochta (Laingsburg/Perry) came into throw in the seventh inning. She gave up an unearned run on two hits and got one out before Grubb re-entered the game to get the final two outs.

The Comets started the nightcap by scoring four runs in the first inning. Nielsen drove in the first run on a single, and then Siebenmark blasted a three-run home run over the fence in left field. Olivet pushed across five more runs in the third inning. Grubb scored the first run on a wild pitch, followed by an RBI-single by freshman Devon Mayse (Adrian/Madison) and a two-run home run by Palumbo and an RBI-single by Lenard. The Comets closed their scoring with a single tally in the fourth on an RBI-double by Palumbo.

The Britons strung together four hits and a couple wild pitches to score their three runs in the fifth inning to stave off the game from ending early because of the eight-run mercy rule.

For the game, Olivet banged out 14 hits. Nielsen went 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Palumbo also had three hits to go along with three RBI. Lenard and Milheim each collected two hits. In the circle, Grubb improved to 11-6 on the season. She went the distance, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out four.

The Comets host Adrian College tomorrow afternoon for another key MIAA doubleheader, beginning at 3:30 p.m.