Alma, Mi.- If today's action was any sign of what is to come, the stretch run for the MIAA championship is going to be one to remember. The Alma College Scots (19-9, 9-2) came into today a half game back of the Tri-State Thunder (26-4, 10-2) in the MIAA standings. The two teams fought eachother hard, but in the end found themselves exactly where they started as after the split the Thunder remain one game ahead of the Scots in the win column and making the remaining week and a half of play very meaningful.
In game one, the Scots fell behind 1-0 in the third before tying it up behind a line drive homerun off the bat of junior catcher Trista-Lynne Geier (West Bloomfield/Walled Lake Western) in the bottom of the inning. The Scots added one more each in the fourth and fifth and took the 3-1 leading into the top of the seventh. Tri-State, however, would not go away as they rallied to tie the score and send it to extra innings. After a scoreless eighth, Geier stepped back up to the plate and ended the game in walk off style with her second homer of the day, giving the Maroon and Cream the 4-3 win.
Geier also added a triple in the game to finish three for four with two RBI's and two runs scored. Amy Gaudard (Mt. Pleasant) and Brittany Fales (Midland/Dow) each added two hits for Alma in the win.
The victory came at a hefty cost as the Scots had to bring in Katie Koechling (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) to finish out the game that freshman Tara Leddy (Saginaw/Swan Valley). After giving up nine hits and three earned in six and a third, Leddy gave way to Koechling who closed out the game with two and two third scoreless to improve to 9-2 on the season. However, the innings pitched in the first game showed as the veteran only went four and a third in the second and gave up four runs on nine hits on her way to picking up her third loss of the season by the score of 7-2.
Gaudard had another solid game, in the nightcap, going three for four while senior Missy Morcom (Chelsea) put together a three for four game of her own while recording two RBI's.
The Scots have five games remaining on their conference schedule including double headers with Hope and Calvin and a make up game with Olivet as they look to finish strong and earn the right to host the MIAA tournament. First things first, the Scots will look to take two from Calvin when they come to Scots' Park this Thursday for a 3:30 p.m. start.
