On a much welcomed sunny Sunday afternoon, the Alma College Baseball team hosted Olivet College at Klenk Park in a league doubleheader. The teams split the twinbill, with Alma winning game one 4-3 and the Comets coming back to take the second contest 4-1.

After today's play, the Scots are now 6-9 in the MIAA and 10-14 overall, while Olivet left town with a league mark of 9-9 and a record of 14-13 in 2013.

In game one, the Scots opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the second for a 2-0 lead. So. 2B Jose Rosado (Corona, NY/Bryant) led off the frame with a walk and moved to third on a single by Jr. 1B Alex Kravat (Auburn, Mich./Bay City Western). The next batter, So. LF Mostafa Ghonim (E. Elmhurst, NY/W.C. Bryant) knocked in both runners with a two RBI triple.

Olivet responded quickly off of Alma starting So. P Roderick MacNeil (Brethren, Mich./Brethren) in the top of the third inning. A leadoff walk was followed by a homerun by Olivet's Andrew Brawley that sailed over the left field fence to make it a 2-2 game.

The Comets took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth as they loaded the bases off of Fr. P Philip Jock (Wales, Mich./Memphis) on two singles and an error. The go ahead run scored on a ground out, but Olivet was not able to further cash in on the threat. 

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Alma responded by two runs of their own to take a decisive 4-3 advantage. So. RF Blake Leddy (Saginaw, Mich./Swan Valley) led off with a walk and advanced to second when Fr. C A.J. Acton (Temecula, Calif./Linfield Christian) reached on an error of a sacrifice bunt.

A sac bunt moved both runners up a base and So. PR Adam Ballien (St. Charles, Mich./St. Charles) scored on a sacrifice fly by CF John Mireles (Lansing, Mich./East Lansing) to tie it at 3-3. Then, a two-out single by Kravat scored Acton from third with the go ahead run.

That would conclude the scoring in game one as Jock and So. P Eric Strickler (Lapeer, Mich./Lapeer East) closed the door on the Comets for the last two innings to save the victory. Jock earned his first win of the season, while Strickler nailed down his third save.

In game two, Olivet struck first with a single run in the top of the third inning on a two-out single that scored a runner from second. Alma tied it at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mireles walked with one out and stole second before moving to third base on a ground out.

Kravat was then hit by a pitch and on an attempted stolen base, Mireles scampered home with the tying run before Kravat was tagged out.

However, Alma would not score again and the Comets would add two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to secure the 4-1 victory. For the Scots, starting Sr. P Alex Ruhlman (Ira, Mich./Algonac) went five innings, allowing five hits and three runs (one earned) to take the loss, dropping his record to 1-2 this season.

Fr. P Matt Launstein (Flushing, Mich./Flushing) came on in relief and allowed one hit and one unearned run in 1.1 innings pitched. Strickler got the final two outs of the seventh inning with one strikeout.

The Scots next play tomorrow when they travel to Grand Rapids to take on Calvin College. The league doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.