NOVI, Mi – Baseball season got kicked off early for the Ocelots playing host to Kellogg Community College. This game marked the earliest in program history that home game has been played for the Ocelots.
Ready or not, the Ocelots season certainly got off to a difficult start. The Bruins from Kellogg came into the matchup preseason ranked 12th in the country.
Freshman Michael Moore was up for the challenge. Moore would open the game going 4 innings, giving up only 2 hits, surrendering 1 earned run while striking out 5 Bruin hitters. In the 4th inning, Moore would allow a walk and a single to the first 2 hitters of the inning. That sequence would be followed up by a fielder’s choice and a popped-up bunt to the catcher, Barrett Barker. An ensuing walk would load the bases with 2 outs. A curveball would get away from Moore allowing Kellogg’s first run of the game to score before getting the Bruin hitter to groundout, ending the threat.
Relieving Moore would be sophomore Philip Miller. Miller would come out of the bullpen firing strikes. For his 4.2 IP, Miller would have a strike percentage of 61.2%. Over his 4.2 IP, Miller would be dominant in the zone allowing only 4 hits and 0 earned runs while striking out a total of 7 hitters. However, the game deciding play would come with 2 outs, bases loaded in the top of the 9th with the game tied at 2. Facing a 3-2 count, Aaron Piasecki would smack a bases clearing double into the left-center gap to push Kellogg in front 5-2.
Schoolcraft would not go down without a fight, however. In his 1st plate appearance of his collegiate career, Tashawn Eatmon would hit a double into the same left-center gap to put a runner in scoring position, looking to march a comeback. Eatmon would later come around to score on a balk before Ben Cannon would get his first hit in his collegiate career. However, the comeback would quickly end after the Cannon single as the Ocelots would fall 5-3 to the nationally ranked Kellogg Bruins.
Runners in scoring position would be the demise for the Ocelots. As a team, Schoolcraft would account to be 0-8 with runners in scoring position while striking out 16 times, including a couple with runners in scoring position and less than 2 outs. 7 different Ocelots would register a hit with none getting more than 1. Accounting for the hits would be Ben Cannon, Andrew Thorning, Owen Elsey, Bryan Tuttle, Mason Malysz, Kayvon Justice and Tashawn Eatmon. Schoolcraft would register 4 doubles coming from Elsey, Tuttle, Malysz and Eatmon. Both Elsey’s and Malsyz’s doubles would register an RBI for each.
The Ocelots are back in action on February 23 as they take a road trip to square off against Chattanooga State Community College. In the NJCAA D-1 preseason rankings, Chattanooga State was receiving votes. The 2 teams will meet for back-to-back doubleheaders before the Ocelots return home.
