Alma faced an elimination game in the NCAA Softball Regional hosted by Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington/Normal, IL on Friday, and lived to see another day, when they defeated Concordia (WI) for the second time in the tournament. The Scots defeated the Falcons 3-1, and will now play an elimination game against Coe College on Saturday afternoon, beginning at Noon (CDT).

The two teams combined for only three hits during the first three innings, but the Scots broke through in the top of the fourth inning. Jr. 2B Kasey Miller (Grand Ledge, MI/Grand Ledge) led off the frame with a double and Jr. RF Sarah Johnson (Portland, MI/Portland) reached on an error by the first baseman, scoring Miller from second. After a strikeout and a fly-out, Sr. C Trista Geier (Livonia, MI/Walled Lake Western) doubled home Johnson for a 2-0 Scots lead.

Concordia cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning off of Alma's starting pitcher, So. Tara Leddy (Saginaw, MI/Swan Valley). A single to lead off the inning got the Falcons going in the frame. A sacrifice bunt attempt that was caught by Geier ended up being an error at first base that allowed the runner to move to second. A single put runners at the corners and a grounder to third scored the run.

Leddy flirted with trouble in the bottom of the sixth, but defensive help behind her and a strikeout got the Scots out of the jam. Alma got an insurance run in the top half of the seventh, when Geier doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by So. DP Erika Brower (Allegan, MI/Allegan).

After So. CF Kelly Koenigsknecht (Fowler, MI/Fowler) was out on batter's interference, Jr. LF Kelsey Rightenburg (Lexington, MI/Lexington-Croswell) walked. Sr. 3B Brittany Fales (Midland, MI/Dow) singled up the middle, scoring Geier and putting Alma up by a score of 3-1.

The Falcons were not about to give up without a fight however, as three of the first four batters in the inning singled, loading the bases with one out. Sr. P Katie Koechling (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton) came into pitch and coaxed the next two batters to pop-out to Miller at second base, securing the win and moving the Scots into Saturday.

Leddy pitched six and 1/3 innings for the Scots, giving up nine hits and no earned runs, while striking out four and walking none. Koechling earned her second save of the season in her 2/3 of an inning of work.

At the plate, Geier finished three for three with the RBI and run scored, while Fales had two hits and an RBI for the Scots. The other two hits for Alma came from Koenigsknecht and Miller, while Johnson and Miller had the two other runs. The Scots are now 29-12 on the season, while Concordia concluded their 2009 campaign at 25-23.