On a Monday afternoon that began warm and blustery and ended cool and blustery, the Alma College baseball team hosted MIAA foe Calvin College for a doubleheader at Klenk Park. The two teams split the twinbill, with the Knights winning game one 7-5 and the Scots taking game two 6-3.

After today, Alma is now 15-15 overall this season and 9-11 in the MIAA, while Calvin leaves town with a mark of 12-8 in the league and 18-12 in 2014.

Game 1

Calvin took the early lead in game one only to have the Scots fight back. However, the visitors prevailed in the end, 7-5. After a scoreless first inning, Calvin scratched a run off of Alma starting Jr. P Eric Strickler (Lapeer/Lapeer East) and then added another in the top of the second for a 2-0 advantage.

Alma cut it to 2-1 when Jr. 3B Juan Dominguez (New York, NY/Blue Ridge) singled with one out and eventually scored from third on a ground out by Jr. 2B Jose Rosado (Corona, NY/Bryant). The Scots then took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning with two runs on three hits.

In the fourth, Jr. DH Mostafa Ghonim (East Elmhurst, NY/WC Bryant) doubled with one out and then scored on a single by So. CF David Carles (Staten Island, NY/Petrides). Carles would later score on a double by Dominguez, putting the Scots on top.

Calvin answered with four runs off of three Alma pitchers in the top of the fifth - Strickler (one), two off of So. P Philip Jock (Wales/Memphis) and one against So. P Blake Ordiway (Holly/Holly).

The Scots were resilient however, and responded with two of their own to make it a 6-5 game in the bottom of the fifth frame. Singles by Jr. RF Yoan Delrosa (Bronx, NY/Morris) and So. C Doug Walters (Brighton/Brighton) and a groundout by Ghonim accounted for the two tallies.

However, the Knights added an insurance run in the seventh and held on for the two-run victory in the opening game of the twinbill.

Jock earned the loss on the mound and fell to 4-6, while Strickler allowed three runs and five hits in 4.1 innings pitched. Ordiway went 2.2 innings and gave up four hits and two earned runs.

Dominguez finished three for four at the plate, while Walters added two hits in the defeat.

Game 2

The nightcap saw the Scots jump out ahead early only to have Calvin tie it before taking over and holding off the Knights in the end.

Jock started on the mound for the Scots and pitched out of trouble in the top of the first, stranding two runners on base. That paved the way for Alma to put up a crooked number in their half of the initial frame as the home team forged a 3-0 lead.

Dominguez singled with one out and moved to third when Jr. 1B Blake Leddy (Saginaw/Swan Valley) reached on an error. A ground out by Ghonim scored Dominguez and then a triple to left center by Delrosa scored two more for Alma.

In the top of the second, Calvin scored two runs as a walk and an error put two runners on base before Jock was able to record two outs. Then, the Knights hit a double that made it a 3-2 contest. They tied the game at 3-3 in their half of the fourth with a single, a sac bunt and and error.

In the bottom of the fifth, Dominguez led off with a triple and came home on a single by Leddy for a 4-3 Alma lead. After Leddy was thrown out stealing, Ghonim blasted a ball over the right field wall for a homerun and a two-run advantage.

Then, in the bottom of the sixth, the Scots were able to add a run as Carles singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch with two outs. A single by Dominguez then advanced Carles to third and he then scored on a subsequent wild pitch that put Alma ahead 6-3.

Jock finished the complete game victory by striking out two in the top of the seventh to secure the Scots' home win. He allowed seven hits with four walks and seven strikeouts to go with one earned run for the game.

Dominguez had three more hits in the nightcap and went six for eight on the day with three runs scored and an RBI. Carles also had two hits in the second game of the twinbill for the Scots.