On Senior Day 2014, the Alma College softball team honored three student athletes - Chanler McCaskey (Morenci/Morenci), Allie Jo Nave (Onaway/Onaway) and Christina Snoblen (Alma/Alma) - who were playing their last home MIAA contests of their careers.

The opponent on Monday was Calvin College and the two teams engaged in a doubleheader that was wild and crazy. The teams split the two contests as each team came from behind to win one a piece - Alma 9-6 in game one and Calvin 7-6 in game two.

When the day ended, the Scots stood at 12-14 on the season and 5-7 in the MIAA, while the Knights departed with an overall mark of 19-11 and 7-5 in the league.

Game 1 (by Alyssa Adams, SID Student Assistant)

In the top of the first, Calvin recorded an early run with one out off of two singles and a sacrifice bunt. But a strikeout and ground ball limited the damage.

Alma cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the first as the rally started with a double by Nave. So. C Kayla Merice (Door/Wayland) then had a bunt single that advanced Nave to second base and she continued on to score on the play off the throw, tying the game at 1-1.

Jr. 3B Lea Lusk (Columbiaville/Lakeville) followed with a double to center field, advancing Merice to third base. Jr. SS Devan Olah (White Lake/Lakeland) singled to shortstop brining in Merice for an RBI. The bottom of the first ended without more runs for the Scots after three quick outs followed the single.

The Knights added two more runs right away in the top of the third to answer Alma's runs, giving them the 3-2 advantage. They continued their damage with three more runs in the frame, extending the lead to 5-2.

Alma was able to bring the game back into focus by scoring two runs in the bottom of the second, making the score 6-4. Merice hit a sacrifice fly to bring Jr. OF Brooke Hein (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Northview) in for a run and Lusk singled to left field bringing in Nave.

The Scots continued their hot hitting in the bottom of the fourth frame, scoring three more runs. The first batter of the inning, Hein, was walked. After one out, Merice singled up the middle advancing Hein to second. Fr. 2B/OF Celeste Boyer (South Lyon/South Lyon East) pinch ran for Merice and advanced to second off of a double from Lusk that scored Hein.

Olah followed with a double down the left field line and advanced to second on the throw as Boyer scored. Next up to bat, Snoblen, singled to left center allowing Lusk to score for Alma's third run, ending the bottom of the fourth with a score of 7-6 Scots.

As the Knights keep quite, the Scots wrapped up the game in the bottom of the fifth.  With no outs, Hein tripled earning an RBI as Fr. P/SS Danielle Service (Mason/Mason), who had doubled, scored.

To earn the second run, Olah singled to right field, advancing Merice (who had reached on an error with a strikeout) home off the throw, ending the inning with a 9-6 Alma lead.

With a valiant defensive effort, the Scots stopped the Knights in the top of the seventh, ending the game and preserving the hard-fought three-run victory.

In the circle, Jr. DP Cori Witham (North Muskegon/North Muskegon) started for the Scots and went 1.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits, a walk and two strikeouts. Jr. P Breu Olling (Breckenridge/Breckenridge) got the win in relief, throwing 5.1 innings and allowing no runs on just three hits.

Game 2 (by Grace Wheeler, SID Student Assistant)

At the beginning of game two, the Scots were faced with a quick deficit after giving up two runs in the bottom of the first to the Knights.

The Scots remained confident and battled back in the fourth frame, scoring four runs. Lusk started it out for the Scots reaching first on an error by the shortstop. Snoblen then singled to right field, advancing pinch runner Fr. Celeste Boyer (South Lyon/South Lyon East) to third base.  A passed ball advanced another pinch runner, Fr. Kolette Sherry (Macomb/Eisenhower), to second and scored Boyer.

Witham then got the RBI and knocked in Sherry on a single up the middle to center field. The final run of the inning was scored by McCaskey, who hammered a homerun over the left field fence, scoring pinch runner Fr. Jade Garcia (Kentwood/East Kentwood). The offensive explosion gave the Scots a 4-2 lead at that point of the game.

After several quick innings, the Scots tightened their control in the top of the seventh inning. Lusk doubled to left field, quickly followed by a single from Olah, advancing Lusk to third.  Snoblen then hit a single down the left field line scoring Lusk and advancing pinch runner Jr. Marie Zill (Chelsea/Chelsea) to second.  Witham followed up with a single up the middle to advance Snoblen and scored Zill. McCaskey ended the inning by lining into a double play.

Unfortunately, even with a 6-2 deficit going into the bottom of the seventh, the Knights weren't ready to give up. 

Calvin hit two quick singles to start the frame, followed by a Scots error, advancing both runners to second and third. Snoblen slowed down the Knights momentum, but only for a short time, with an unassisted out at first. Two more Calvin singles and an outfield error by the Scots advanced runners, scoring two runs and cutting the Alma lead to 6-4. 

After a pitching change, Olling came in for Jr. P Samantha Pierce (Clarklake/Michigan Center) trying to stop the rally. However, the Scots would not prevail, giving up a walk off home run to score three Calvin players and giving Alma a heartbreaking loss at 7-6. 

The Scots will now regroup and hit the road on Wednesday afternoon for another league doubleheader. Alma will travel to Kalamazoo to take on the Hornets with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m.