On a Sunday afternoon that felt more like a November football game than a spring softball contest, the Scots hosted Aquinas College in a season-ending doubleheader at Scots Park. The two teams split the twinbill with the Saints victorious in game one before Alma took game two in 10 innings.

Alma finishes their 2014 season with a 16-16 overall record (9-9, MIAA), while Aquinas wraps up the campaign with a mark of 21-20 (9-9 WHAC).

In game one, Alma came up short 2-0 in a low-scoring affair that saw few scoring chances and in the nightcap, the Scots won on a fielding error in the bottom of the 10th frame by a score of 4-3.

Sunday was the team's annual Pink Day in honor of individuals who have battled life-threatening diseases. The team decided to dedicate the day to Keisha Brown, the women's basketball coach for the past five years who lost her fight with cancer two weeks ago. On each player's shirt was the name Brown and Keisha's initials signifying our thoughts for her and her family.

Coach Keisha Brown

March 3, 1972 - April 10, 2014

Game 1

Alma starting Jr. P Samantha Pierce (Clarklake/Michigan Center) and Becca Shineldecker, her Aquinas counterpart, combined for four scoreless innings before the Saints finally broke through for a run.

Aquinas had a leadoff double in the top of the fifth a sacrifice bunt moved the run over to third. A ground out then scored the runner and the Saints had the one-run lead.

The Saints made it a 2-0 advantage in the top of the sixth frame as they singled with one out and stole second. That was followed by a double that gave the visitors the two-run cushion that they would not relenquish.

Alma had a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh by Fr. 2B Anna Couture (Posen/Posen) but were unable to generate anything else in the rally and the Saints held of for the game one victory.

Pierce went the distance in the loss for the Scots and gave up seven hits with the two earned runs. She walked none and had one strikeout, falling to 5-8 on the season. Offensively, Alma was only able to muster four hits and Sr. LF Allie Jo Nave (Onaway/Onaway) had two of them.

Game 2

The nightcap started with the Saints scoring a lone run in the top of the first inning off of Alma starting Jr. P Breu Olling (Breckenridge/Breckenridge). Aquinas made it 1-0 on a one out single, a walk and then a two-out single knocking in the runner.

That is how the score would remain all the way until the seventh inning. Olling would retire 11 batters in a row after the first and did not give up another baserunner until the top of the fifth. In the meantime, Aquinas P Caitlyn Hensel kept Alma hitless until a bunt single by Scots Jr. CF Marie Zill (Chelsea/Chelsea) in the bottom half of the fifth frame.

Aquinas would get five hits over the last three innings but could not add to their lead. That led to some dramatics in the bottom half of the seventh.

With the Scots down to their last two outs of the game, Sr. 1B Christina Snoblen (Alma/Alma) blasted a ball over the centerfield fence for a homerun, tying the contest at 1-1. The two teams would then head into extra innings all tied up.

Playing international rules, each team would begin their half of the inning with a runner on second base (the final out of the previous inning) and no outs.

Aquinas bunted their runner over in the top of the eighth and then an infield error scored a run to make 2-1. A wild pitch with two outs and then a single gave the Saints what would seem to be a comfortable 3-1 advantage.

However, the Scots would answer. Jr. DH Cori Witham (North Muskegon/North Muskegon) started off on second and the first batter struck out. So. PH Sarah Collier (Fenton/Fenton) walked and Zill pinch ran. A sac fly moved both runners up a base with two outs. So. Kayla Merice (Dorr/Wayland) then hit a ball to shortstop who booted it scoring two runs and tying the game at 3-3.

In the ninth, Aquinas used the same strategy and moved the runner over to third on a bunt. The next batter singled and the Saints took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the frame.

Fr. PR Kelsey Spencer (Eaton Rapids/Eaton Rapids) pinch ran for the Scots and moved to third on a sac bunt. Then, as a surprise to everyone, Snoblen laid down a perfect bunt of her own for a single, knocking in Spencer and tying the game at 4-4. The two teams headed to a 10th inning.

In the Saints' 10th, the first batter struck out and the second batter flew to center, moving the runner to third. However, Olling got out of the jam by inducing the next Aquinas hitter to fly innocently out to center, giving Alma a chance to win it.

Alma had Witham on second and she moved over to third on a sac bunt by Couture. After Zill flew out to center for the second out, the senior Nave came to bat with a chance to win the final game of her career. She promptly hit a sharp grounder to the shortstop, who bobbled the ball and could not get the throw to first in time to get the hustling Nave out. Witham crossed the plate and the Scots had the improbable 5-4 extra inning victory.

Olling went all 10 innings in the circle and gave up just one earned run on nine total hits. She also had four strikeouts to go with one walk. Snoblen had two of just three Alma hits, while Zill had the other in the win.