On a day marred by rain delays, wet field and overall weather angst, the Alma College softball team took on host Hope College in a key MIAA doubleheader in Holland.

The Scots took game one 13-4 in five innings but dropped a tough second contest by a 3-2.

After today, Alma is now 4-6 in the league and 11-13 overall, while Hope stands at 7-1 in the MIAA and 13-10 for the 2014 campaign.

Game 1

In the top of the first inning, Sr. OF Allie Jo Nave (Onaway/Onaway) walked and moved to second on a ground out before moving to third on a wild pitch with two outs. Jr. SS Devan Olah (White Lake/Lakeland) made sure the Scots didn't waste the rally by singling to left field for a 1-0 lead.

Alma made it 3-0 in the top of the second as Jr. P Cori Witham (N. Muskegon/N. Muskegon) singled and Jr. PR Marie Zill (Chelsea/Chelsea) stole second and third. Sr. OF Chanler McCaskey (Morenci/Morenci) then hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Zill. Fr. 2B Anna Couture (Posen/Posen) singled and moved to second on a sac bunt. She made it home on a subsequent double by Nave to give Alma the two-run advantage.

The Scots basically put the game away in the third inning as they scored eight runs on seven hits and were helped by three Hope errors. Several players had key hits, including Witham (1B, RBI), McCaskey (1B, RBI) and So. C Kayla Merice (Dorr/Wayland), who hit a crushing grand slam homerun to knock in four runs.

With the visitors leading 11-0, the game went into a lengthy weather delay. After the game resumed, Alma added to their lead in the top of the fifth inning. The Scots had back-to-back homeruns by Merice and Jr. 3B Lea Lusk (Columbiaville/Lakeville) to take a 13-0 lead.

With the opportunity to close the Flying Dutch out early, Alma made it interesting by allowing four runs in the bottom of the fifth, including a three-run homerun. However, the Scots got out of the frame and closed out the mercy rule game by winning 13-4.

Witham went the five innings in the circle to earn the win. She gave up eight hits with three earned runs, two walks and four strikeouts. Witham and McCaskey led the 18-hit assault with three a piece and Merice had the two homers.

Game 2

All the scoring in the nightcap came in just two innings. Hope, hitting as the visitors, scored two in the top of the first frame as they recorded four singles in the rally.

The Scots cut it to 2-1 as Nave led off the bottom of the inning with a single and moved to second on a sac bunt by Merice. A Lusk ground out moved Nave to third and she scored on a two-out single by Olah.

The two teams then combined for just four hits over the next five innings and the score remained 2-1 heading into the top of the sixth inning. At that point, Hope took a 3-1 advantage as they got a solo homerun to left field to get the two-run lead.

The Scots answered in the bottom of the frame as Sr. 1B Christina Snoblen (Alma/Alma) singled to lead off the inning and Zill pinch ran. Zill stole second and advanced to third, ultimately coming home a single by Witham to make it a 3-2 game.

Alma would then load the bases later in the inning but a force out at home and a pop out ended the rally and Hope still led by one. The Scots got a two-out base runner in the seventh but could not take advantage and wound up losing by one, 3-2.

Jr. P Samantha Pierce (Clarklake/Michigan Center) went the distance for the Scots in the circle and fell to 4-7 on the year with the loss. She allowed seven hits, three earned runs and had one walk to go with three strikeouts.

Alma had 10 total hits in the second game and were led by Snoblen's two in a losing effort.