It was another beautiful and warm spring afternoon in Mid-Michigan on Friday (NOT!). However, it was cloudy, breezy and downright cold as the Alma College baseball team hosted MIAA foe Albion College in a doubleheader at Klenk Park.

The Scots fought off the elements and the road team and swept two close games against the Britons. In game one, Alma scored in the bottom of the seventh to win 4-3, while in the nightcap, the Scots scored two in the bottom of the sixth to break a tie and earn an 8-6 victory.

With the two wins, Alma improved to 11-15 in the MIAA and 17-19 overall, while Albion fell to 17-21 in 2014 and 12-14 in the league. However, with Kalamazoo College winning two games Friday, the Scots were eliminated from postseason contention.

Game 1

Following a scoreless top of the first inning for Albion, the Scots would strike for three runs and an early lead. With one out, Fr. RF Pat Finn (Allentown/Almont) singled and Sr. LF Alex Kravat (Auburn/Bay City Western) followed with a walk. The two runners advanced a base on a wild pitch before Jr. 1B Blake Leddy (Saginaw/Swan Valley) followed with another walk to load the bases.

Jr. DH Mostafa Ghonim (E. Elmhurst, NY/W.C. Bryant) then hit a single to right field to knock in two runs. That was followed by a fielder's choice from Alma So. C A.J. Acton (Temecula, CA/Linfield Christian) that scored Leddy for a 3-0 advantage.

Albion would answer with two runs of their own against Alma starting Sr. P Kevin Thompson (Petoskey/Petoskey) on a walk and then a homerun by Sr. Dan Mills. The score would remain 3-2 until an interesting top of the fifth inning.

The Scots would use four different pitchers in the fifth, but Albion would eventually only score one to tie it at 3-3. The run was manufactured by a leadoff triple and then a single, but that ended up being the only damage.

In the deciding bottom of the seventh, Kravat walked with one out and then stole second base. After pinch runner Fr. Jerome Jackson (Harper Woods/Harper Woods) entered the contest, Leddy walked again to put two runners on base. Ghonim then stepped up to the plate and promptly lined a single to left center that scored Jackson, giving Alma the dramatic 4-3 win.

Finn finished two for four with a run, while Ghonim was two for four with three RBI's. In addition, Leddy was two for two with two walks and a run scored.

Thompson went 4.1 innings on the mound and gave up three hits and two earned runs. So. P Blake Ordiway (Holly/Holly) faced three batters and surrendered two hits, a walk and a run. Jr. P Eric Strickler (Lapeer/East Lapeer) earned the win on the bump despite facing just three batters, walking one and improving his record to 4-3 this season.

Game 2

The two teams were scoreless after two innings, but Albion would go ahead 2-0 in the top of the third on three hits, including a triple off of Alma starting So. P Colin Nash (Brighton/Brighton).

The Scots then responded with six runs in the bottom half of the third on just three hits but also three errors by the Britons. Two walks also aided the Scots and five different players had RBI's in the frame, but only Finn had one because of a hit. At the end of the long frame, Alma had a 6-2 advantage.

Albion tallied four runs in the top of the fifth, as they recorded two hits and also had two walks off of Nash in the frame. Launstein came on in relief for the Scots and was able to get the last two outs, including a sacrifice fly.

With one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, Sr. 3B Bryan Goostrey (Jackson/East Jackson) was hit by a pitch and pinch run for by Jackson. After a double by Jr. 2B Bobby Beauchamp (Escanaba/Escanaba) put runners on second and third, the Scots' second out came on a strikeout.

However, Finn would be the hero of the game, as he doubled down the left field line, scoring Jackson and Beauchamp and giving Alma the 8-6 advantage. The home team would take that two-run lead into a final and too exciting top of the seventh.

Strickler came on in relief in the seventh and recorded two quick outs and things looked all rosy for the home team. However, the Britons would make it interesting as the next two batters singled and moved to second and third on a wild pitch.

But, even as the hometown fans were sweating it out in the frigid conditions, the Scots would prevail. Strickler got the next batter to strikeout swinging, narrowly preserving the exciting Alma win and earning his second save of the year.

Jock pitched just 0.2 of an inning, but recorded the win and improved his season record to 6-7, while Nash gave up six earned runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched.

The Scots finished with just six total hits in the victory and Finn led the way with two and had three RBI's. Four other players each had one single a piece for the home team as they had just two earned runs out of their eight.

The two teams will wrap up their respective regular seasons on Sunday afternoon down in Albion for a doubleheader that is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.