Albion

ALBION, Mich. - Doug Counterman (Burlington/Union City) threw his first career complete game to lead the Albion College baseball team to its fifth win in a row Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Olivet College in game one of a doubleheader, but the Britons could not overcome Mother Nature in the nightcap as play was suspended with the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth.

Counterman used an effective fastball to throw a four-hitter with three walks and three strikeouts. The only mistake Counterman made was allowing Ryan Hodges to slug a homerun to leadoff the sixth inning. Olivet had the go ahead run on base with one out in the sixth, but Counterman came back to get the next two batters to fly out to center field. Olivet also had two runners aboard in the fifth, but Counterman induced a ground ball double play.

Albion scored its runs in the fourth inning. Josh DeLara (Clinton Township/Clintondale) drove in the game-winning run with a sharply hit ground ball that got past the Olivet third baseman who was pulled in to guard against a bunt. DeLara and Kyle O'Keefe (Ypsilanti/Lincoln) collected two hits apiece in game one.

Albion fell behind, 4-0, in game two as the defense didn't give Brad Polnasek (Albion/Jackson Lumen Christi) support in the fourth inning. Olivet took advantage of two errors in scoring three runs.

The Britons rallied for four runs in the fifth as O'Keefe, Cameron Mueller (Brighton/Brighton), and Chad Gromek (Lansing/Lansing Catholic Central) reached base consecutively with one out. After a groundout,  Craig Hitchcock (Davison/Davison), Bobby Clouse (Lake Orion/Lake Orion), Chuck DeClarke (Holt/Lansing Catholic Central), and Sam Prentice (Novi/Walled Lake Western) all reached base safely. When play resumes noon Sunday at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet, John Gignac (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Central) will bat with the bases loaded.

» GAME 1: ALBION 2, OLIVET 1