The Alma College Softball team traveled to sunny Florida over the weekend to kick off their annual spring games trip. After falling the Davenport University 7-3 the start the day, the Scots battled back to defeat Hanover College (OH) 9-1 in six innings.

At the conclusion of the day, Alma heads in to day two with an 1-1 overall record.

So. P Morgan Stratton (Grand Blanc/Grand Blanc) was dominant in the first inning, striking out two and forcing a pop up to to keep Hanover scoreless heading in to the home half of the inning.

The Scots were unable to put any runs on the board in the first, but Stratton kept on dealing, striking out two more in the second to keep the score knotted at 0-0.

Hanover managed to get on the board in the top of third to take the 1-0 lead heading in to the bottom of the inning.

In the fourth, Alma would bust the game wide open thanks to a So. 3B Jade Garcia (Kentwood/East Kentwood) single that knocked in Fr. OF Erin Lee (Commerce/Walled Lake Northern) to tie the score at 1-1 with two outs. Jr. C Kayla Merice (Dorr/Wayland) would step to the plate next and reach on an error which scored Fr. OF Allie Cianciolo (Troy/Troy). After four, Alma held the 2-1 lead in Clermont.

With the score still 2-1 in the sixth, the Scots would put the petal to the medal and took control.  Jr. C Kayla Merice (Dorr/Wayland) would single to right field to score pinch-runner So. OF Kelsey Spencer (Eaton Rapids/Eaton Rapids), followed by a strong double by So. C/P Katherine Hybl (Central Lake/Charlevoix) to bring in Garcia from third.

So. SS Anna Couture (Posen/Posen) would walk to score Merice from third, before Sr. SS Devan Olah (White Lake/Lakeland) would smash a double over the center fielder's head to clear the bases and put the Scots up 8-1. Olah would cross home plate thanks to a walk by Spencer to end the game in six innings, with Alma taking the 9-1 victory.

Olah led the Scots with three hits and RBI, while Merice knocked in two after going 1-3. Garcia went 1-3 at the plate and knocked in one RBI with one steal.

On the mound, Stratton got the win after allowing one run on five hits while fanning six batters.

Alma takes the field again tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. taking on Capital University (OH).