ALMA, Mich. - Alma College continued its winning ways on the softball field with a doubleheader sweep of Hope in the league opener for both teams.  The Scots took game one, 5-0 and game two, 3-2.

In the first game, a 5-0 victory for the Maroon and Cream, Leigh Ann LaFave (Bark River/Escanaba) held the Hope offense to just one hit, and struck out eight.  LaFave only allowed one runner to reach third base, and that did not happen until the sixth inning, after the Scots had a comfortable margin.  

The Scots scored in the third inning by playing a little 'small-ball.'  A leadoff single by Mary Pietsch (Rogers City), turned into the first run when she stole second base, was bunted over to third by Missy Morcom (Chelsea), and took home on a passed ball. Back-to-back singles by Megan Knochel (Pinconning) and Laura Bell (Walled Lake/Western) put the Scots up 2-0.  The bottom half of the fifth saw the Scots bust out the big bats as Megan Colligan's (Northville/Novi) one-out homer to center scored two more and gave the Scots the final margin of victory.

Game two saw the Scots jump out to an early lead again, and then hold off a furious rally by Hope. Melissa Tavidian (New Hudson/South Lyon) was cruising into the sixth with a three run lead, when she ran into trouble.  After consecutive singles and an error, Hope was poised fora big inning with the bases loaded and nobody out. Tavidian struck out two of the next three batters and induced a pop-up to get out of the inning unscathed.  Hope would score two runs in the seventh on a Jessica Regnerus homerun, but could not tie the game.   

For the game Tavidian gave up four hits, walked two and struck out seven. Colligan and Morcom both went 1-for-4 with an RBI to pace the offense for the Scots.  

With the victories Alma improves to 10-6 (2-0 MIAA). Hope falls to 8-4 (0-2 MIAA). The Scots are in action this Friday when they host LSSU at 3 p.m.

By Nate Jervey

Alma College Sports Information