The Alma College baseball team hit the road for two "home" games in Kalamazoo on Wednesday to take on the Hornets in a MIAA showdown. At Woodworth Park, the Scots took game one 7-6, and fell in game two 4-0.
Following Wednesday, Alma is 9-6 overall and 3-2 in the MIAA. After the twinbill, Kalamazoo is 5-9 on the year, with a 3-3 mark in conference.
Game 1
Following a lead-off walk, Kalamazoo advanced the runner to second on a wild pitch. The Hornets would take another walk, followed by a fly out, to advance runners to second and third. A groundout to the third baseman scored the runner from third to give Kalamazoo the early 1-0 lead.
The score remained 1-0 until the fourth inning when the Hornets put five runs up on three hits. Heading into the fifth, Kalamazoo held a commanding 6-0 lead.
With one out in the fifth, Fr. OF Pat Finn (Allentown/Almont) recorded a pinch-hit single to give Alma its first baserunner of the inning. Sr. IF Bryan Goostrey (Jackson/East Jackson) was hit by a pitch to put two on for the Scots with two outs. So. C A.J. Acton (Temecula, CA/Linfield Christian) then smacked a single to right field to load the bases and Fr. IF Alex Peczynski (Farmington Hills/Detroit Catholic Central) followed with a double to bring in two. Jr. IF Jose Rosado (Corona, NY/Bryant) singled to left to bring in Peczynski and Acton to cut the deficit to 6-4, heading into the sixth inning.
The Hornets were unable to manufacture any runs in the top-half on the inning, and the score remained 6-4.
In the home-half of the sixth, Sr. IF Alex Kravat (Auburn/Bay City Western) led off with a single to left and Jr. OF Mostafa Ghonim (East Elmhurst, NY/W.C. Bryant) followed by getting hit by a pitch to give Alma two men on base. Fr. IF Jeremiah Johnson (Bloomingdale/Bloomingdale) reached on a fielder's choice to advance Kravat to third base. Goostrey then singled to left field to drive in Kravat, trimming the Scots' deficit to one, 6-5.
The Scots blanked the Hornets in the seventh, keeping the score 6-5 heading into the home-half of the final frame. Peczynski led off the inning by getting beaned, then advancing to second on a sacrifice by Rosado.
Following a walk by Jr. IF Dominguez (New York, NY/Blue Ridge), Kravat reached on an error and Peczynski scored from third to tie the score. Jr. OF Blake Leddy (Saginaw/Swan Valley) walked to load the bases and Fr. IF Jerome Jackson (Harper Woods/Harper Woods) followed an out with a walk of his own, to score Dominguez and give Alma the 7-6 come-from-behind victory.
The Scots finished game one with seven runs on seven hits, one error and four left on base.
Goostrey led Alma with two hits and a RBI, and Rosado and Peczynski both added two RBI's in the victory.
On the mound, So. P Philip Jock (Wales/Memphis) got the win for Alma to improve to 3-0. So. Blake Ordiway (Holly/Holly) started the game for the Scots, giving up five runs on four hits in 3.2 innings pitched. Fr. Alex Valasek (Saginaw/Nouvel Catholic Central) pitched 2.2 innings in game one, surrendering one run on two hits, with one strikeout.
Game 2
The Hornets put a runner in scoring position in the first inning following a wild pitch. Kalamazzo would connect on a double to score the runner from second to take the 1-0 lead.
With two outs, Alma loaded the bases in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded, Dominguez flew out to the first baseman to keep the score at 1-0.
The score remained 1-0 until the fifth inning, when the Hornets singled in a run to take the 2-0 lead in the top of the inning.
Kalamazoo started the sixth with a single, followed by a double, to give the Hornets two men on with no outs. Following an RBI single, the home team would score again on a steal to extend the advantage to 4-0 moving into the seventh.
Alma was unable to land any baserunners in the seventh, and took the 4-0 defeat in game two.
Kravat, Goostrey, Delrosa and Acton each had one hit for the Scots. Leddy and Kravat both recorded one steal, and Kravat collected the only double for Alma.
Jock (2-1) got saddled with the loss in game two, giving up three hits and one run, with seven strikeouts. Sr. Kevin Thompson (Petoskey/Petoskey) pitched 2.0 innings, giving up seven hits and three earned runs.
The Scots finished game two with four hits, one error and eight runners left on base.
Alma will play again in Kalamazoo as they take on the Hornets in a single game tommorow, April 3rd, at 5:00 p.m.
