KALAMAZOO, Mich. - It was a successful Senior Day for the Hornets as the softball team swept Olivet on Saturday afternoon, winning 23-0 and 8-5.
Game One
Kalamazoo exploded for 14 runs off 11 hits right off the bat in their first inning on offense. Kelsey Diekman hit a triple off the first pitch to kick things off. Keelin McManus also hit a triple. Brynna Garden had two doubles to score three runs total, and Nina Szalkiewicz hit a double to score two Hornet baserunners. Eight different batters recorded RBIs in the inning.
After a scoreless second inning, the Hornets again came up with a slew of hits to make it 23-0. Szalkiewicz and Lucy Hart each hit doubles, Hart scoring a total of three runners with the hit. Garden had another hit that scored two runners, and Lizzy Rottenberg drove in two runs with a single to right field. The 23-0 victory was achieved in five innings.
Five Hornets recorded three hits- Diekman, Szalkiewicz, McManus, Moss and Garden. Three hit doubles and two hit triples. All nine starters were credited with at least one RBI, one hit, and scored at least two runs.
With the 23-0 win, today's game becomes second in school history with the most runs scored.
The team's 21 hits also set a new single-game record, the previous being 18 hits against Otterbein in 2000.
Keelin McManus tied Kalamazoo's single-game run record with four runs scored. She pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing just one hit and setting a new career-high in strikeouts with eight.
Game Two
Kalamazoo went up 3-0 in the top of the first. A run came in off a wild pitch when the Hornets loaded the bases to start, followed up by a double from Garden to bring in two more runners. They went up 4-0 with another run in the second inning.
The Hornets ran into trouble when Olivet came up with a three-run home run followed up by a solo homer to tie things at 4-4. They quickly turned things around in the fourth with a double from Brynna Garden, who came around to score after a triple down the right-field line by Keelin McManus. Sam Moss hit an RBI double of her own, followed up by an RBI single by Liz Rottenberk to make it 7-4.
Despite another home run by the Comets, Kalamazoo put a security run on in the sixth inning to seal the win.
Kalamazoo had 13 hits in the game compared to eight by Olivet. The Hornets as a team hit three doubles and a triple.
Kelsey Diekman was 3-for-4 at the plate and scored two runs.
Sam Moss and Brynna Garden each drove in two runs with doubles hit.
Keelin McManus pitched the first 2.1 innings for the Hornets, recording two strikeouts and allowing four runs to score. Sammi Luzadre came in for the save, striking out six Olivet batters.
Up Next
Kalamazoo is scheduled to play four road games against Saint Mary's starting on Sunday, April 25.