The Alma Softball team concluded a Spring Break trip to Orlando, Florida on Friday with two wins, giving the Scots an 8-2 record coming home. They defeated Lycoming College, 7-0, in the first game of the day, and concluded the trip with a 5-1 decision over John Carroll University. The Scots will next compete in the NFCA Lead-Off Classic next weekend in Panama City, Florida.
Jr. Pitcher Brittany Grys (Portland, MI/Portland) and Sr. Tara Leddy (Saginaw, MI/Swan Valley) were masterful in their final outing of the week. In the first game, on her birthday, Grys threw a five-hitter, with nine strikeouts, earninh her second win of the season.
The Scots wasted no time by scoring three times in their half of the first inning. Jr. Kelly Koenigsknecht (Fowler, MI/Fowler) led off with a bunt single and stole second base. Sr. Kelsey Rightenburg (Lexington, MI/Crosswell-Lexington) walked, and a double by Sr. Sarah Johnson (Portland/Portland) drove in Koenigsknecht and Rightenburg. Sr. Houston Verbeck (Burton, MI/Flint Kearsley) followed with a single to left scoring Johnson to take a 3-0 lead.
A walk to Rightenburg, a sacrifice bunt by So. Emily Ross (Buchanan, MI/Buchanan) and an RBI single by Verbeck increased the Scots lead to four in the third inning. Two more runs were added in the fourth, with a single by So. Becca DeWyse (Bay City, MI/All Saints), a sacrifice bunt by Jr. Erika Brower (Allegan, MI/Allegan), an error, and a squeeze by Koenigsknecht.
Alma finished the game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Fr. Amanda Schneider, (New Baltimore, MI/Anchor Bay) drilled a single to right field and scored on a wild throw to third base following a single to left field by Koenigsknecht. Jr. Katie Gruber (Webberville, MI/Webberville) walked and stole second base. Johnson stepped into the box and hit an RBI single to end the game.
In the final game of the trip, Leddy was three outs away from a perfect game before the leadoff hitter for John Carroll University bounced a single to right field to spoil Leddy's bid. Leddy struck out seven to earn her fourth win of the campaign.
Alma scored in the opening inning with Rightenburg getting onboard on an error and moving to second by a walk to Ross. Verbeck singled to left field on the next pitch, scoring Rightenburg. In the second inning Schneider led off with a single and Koenigsknecht tripled to right field to increase the lead.
Two more runs were tacked on in the fifth inning, with Johnson singling to left field and back to back triples by Verbeck and Sr. Kasey Miller, (Grand Ledge, MI/Grand Ledge). The final run was on an RBI single by Rightenburg after a walk to Brower and a sacrifice bunt by Schneider.
