On Thursday afternoon, the Alma College Baseball team hosted Hope College in a MIAA doubleheader at Klenk Park. The weather was brisk but had clearing skies and Hope defeated Alma twice. The Flying Dutchmen earned a pair of come from behind wins – 4-3 in the first game and 6-3 in the second game.

After today's results, the Scots are now 6-13 in the MIAA and 10-18 overall and the Flying Dutchmen improved to 16-6 in the league and 22-11 in 2013.

In game one, So. P Jose Velez (Tampa, Fla./S. Ft. Myers) started on the mound for the Scots and gave up single runs in the second and third innings as Hope built a 2-0 lead.

In the second, a walk, an error and a hit by pitch loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly led to a run for Hope. In the third, a lead off single and walk followed by a wild pitch put runners on second and third. The next batter reached on an error by Alma Jr. 3B Bryan Goostrey (Jackson, Mich./East Jackson) scoring a run.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Scots scratched out a run as Jr. 1B Alex Kravat (Auburn, Mich./Bay City Western) led off with a single. Kravat moved to second on a stolen base and was still there after two out before So. 2B Jose Rosado (Corona, NY/Bryant) singled and knocked in Kravat.

Sr. SS Ryan Henris (Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel Catholic) walked and was followed by a single by So. RF Roderick MacNeil (Brethren, Mich./Brethren) that scored Rosado. On the play, Henris got caught in a rundown between second and third and got tagged out, ending the inning with the score tied at 2-2.

Alma scored again in the bottom of the fifth when Goostrey reached on an error and pinch runner Sr. Matthew Cresswell (St. Louis, Mich./St. Louis) moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by So. C A.J. Acton (Temecula, Calif./Linfield Christian).

Fr. CF John Mireles (Lansing, Mich./East Lansing) followed with a single to knock in Cresswell and give Alma a 3-2 lead.

The Scots held the one-run lead heading into the seventh but Hope led off with a triple and it was followed by a single to make it 3-3. So. P Eric Strickler (Lapeer, Mich./Lapeer East) then relieved Velez with one out.

Two more hits by the Flying Dutchmen led to a 4-3 Hope lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Scots got a walk in the bottom of the frame, but the game ended on a 3-6 double play.

Velez pitched 6.1 innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs in taking the loss. In addition, he had 10 strikeouts and two walks. Kravat and Mireles each went two for three for the Scots, who eight hits in the game.

Hope opened the scoring in the nightcap as well, when they took a 1-0 lead on a leadoff walk, a sac bunt and an RBI single off of Alma starting P Philip Jock (Wales, Mich./Memphis). The Flying Dutchmen made it 2-0 in the third on a walk and single with a two-base error.

The Scots put a three-spot up on the board in the bottom of the fourth with three hits and one Hope error. The big hit of the inning was a two-run double by Sr. DH Cameron Schmidt (Port Austin, Mich./North Huron) that put the Scots ahead 3-2

Hope then scored two in the top of the fifth off of Jock and Scots Fr. P Matt Launstein (Flushing, Mich./Flushing) to make it a 4-3 game. The visitors added one run to their lead in the sixth and took a 5-3 advantage.

After a leadoff double, a wild pitch and an error by Launstein led to a final Hope run in the top of the seventh and the visitors had the 6-3 victory and sweep.

Jock went 4.1 innings and allowed four hits and one earned run but had four walks, while Launstein took the loss in 2.1 innings. He allowed four hits and three earned runs with three walks.

Alma will travel to Holland on Saturday to take on the Flying Dutchmen in another league doubleheader. Start time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.