The Belles of Saint Mary's visited the Alma Scots on Saturday in an MIAA doubleheader and the Scots were able to clench two victories to start conference play by margins of 10-6 and 7-1.
The game was played in very cold conditions, with snow all around the outside of the field fences - not what you would want for April 2! But, both teams fought off the conditions and played two very competitive games in their league openers.
Saint Mary's started the scoring early in the first game, notching a 3-0 lead by the end of the second inning. Alma fought back in the third inning, scoring four runs of their own to take the lead. Saint Mary's would re-claim the lead in the top of the fourth by adding two runs to make the score 5-4, which would then be tied up by the Scots in the bottom of the inning.
In the fifth inning, Alma made a statement by scoring four runs, including a three-run homer by Sr. 3B Erika Brower (Allegan, MI/Allegan). The Scots' defense only allowed one more run from the Belles, and also addes one of their own in the first-game victory.
The second game of the day remained scoreless until the fourth inning when the Scots took a substantial three-run lead. Alma batted in three more runs in the fifth inning, raising their lead to 6-0. Saint Mary's only run of the game would come in the sixth inning, but the Belles were unable to generate any further offense. With one additional run for the Scots in the seventh inning, they secured two wins to move to 19-2 overall (2-0 MIAA).
Fourteen Scots contributed runs in the winning efforts for Alma on the day. Sr. P Tara Leddy (Saginaw, MI/Swan Valley)pitched five and one-third innings in the first game allowing six runs on nine hits while striking out three. Leddy's record improved to a perfect 9-0.
So. P Louise Rezmer (Essexville, MI/Bay City All Saints)went on to pitch a complete seven innings in the second game after finishing up the first. She gave up only one run on six hits to preserve her undefeated record, raising it to 6-0.
The Scots are scheduled to be in action again on Tuesday, April 5 when they will take on the undefeated and 14th ranked Adrian Bulldogs.
