The Alma College Baseball team kicked off conference play on Friday, traveling to take on Olivet College in a doubleheader on the road. The Scots split with the Comets on the afternoon, losing 3-1 in the first game before earning a 4-1 victory in the second game of the twinbill.

Following Friday's action, Alma is now 10-4 overall with a 1-1 mark in the MIAA, while Olivet now sits at 2-8 on the year and 1-1 in league action.

Game one

The first run of the afternoon would be scored by the home team, as the Comets put one up in the bottom of the first off of a groundout.

Following a strikeout, Jr. OF Jose Corniel (Bronx, NY/Norman Thomas) would send a double to center field to give the Scots one on with one out in the top of the second. So. IF Adam Thoryk (Phoenix, NY/John C. Birdlebaugh) would  then bring Corniel home on the next at bat, singling through the right side to knot the score at 1-1.

Olivet would strike again in the bottom of the third thanks to a two-out double, to regain the lead at 2-1 heading in to the top of the fourth.

Jr. C Doug Walters (Brighton/Brighton) and Sr. IF Juan Dominguez (New York, NY/Blue Ridge) led off the fourth inning with walks, giving Alma two men on with no outs. The Scots would be unable to capitalize however, ending the inning with a fly out and back-to-back strikeouts.

The Comets would threaten again in the bottom of the fourth, landing two men on base with just one out. Olivet would then attempt a suicide squeeze but Walters would tag the runner at the plate to keep the run off the board. Jr. RHP Colin Nash (Brighton/Brighton) would then strike out the next batter to keep the Scots close at 2-1 heading in to the fifth inning.

Alma would leave one man on in the top of the inning, before Olivet would tack on two more runs in the home half of the fifth to extend its advantage to 4-1 with two innings remaining.

Walters led off the sixth with a walk, before a double play and a fly out would end the half inning with the score remaining 4-1.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Jr. IF Dayne San Miguel (Wheeler/Breckenridge) would single to left field to keep the Scots hopes alive. The next batter would strike out swinging and the game ended with Olivet earning the 4-1 victory.

On the mound, Nash earns the loss to fall to 2-1 on the year after allowing four runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings pitched. Jr. RHP Blake Ordiway (Holly/Holly) allowed one hit and walked one batter in 1.2 innings of relief.

Thoryk went 1-3 with one RBI, while Fr. IF Matthew Minaudo (Clinton Township/De La Salle) and Jr. OF David Carles (Staten Island, NY/Petrides) each collected a stolen base for Alma.

Game two

With two outs, the Scots would land two runners on in the top of the first, before a fly out would end the inning without any damage done.

The home team would once again score in the bottom of the first inning, capitalizing on a three-hit first to take the early 1-0 lead.

Neither team would be able to manufacture much offense in the next two innings and the score remained 1-0 heading in to the top of the fourth.

Dominguez led off the fourth with a single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch, giving the Scots one on with one out.  An error would land Corniel on first and bring Dominguez in from second to knot the score at 1-1 with one out. Corneil would steal second, then come in to score thanks to another Comet error, putting Alma up 2-1 with still just one out on the board. The Scots would end the inning with two strikeouts to take the 2-1 advantage in to the bottom of the fourth.

Olivet looked to regain the lead in the bottom of the fourth, landing two runners on with no outs. The Scots were not rattled as Jr. LHP Philip Jock (Wales/Memphis) struck out the next batter then made a great play at home to keep the score 2-1 with two outs. Jock would then fan the next batter and Alma held on to the 2-1 advantage after four.

Jock continued to make plays in fifth, striking out two more batters in the inning to get out of a base-loaded jam unscathed.

Jr. OF Erick Cruz (Brooklyn, NY/Colegio Juan XX III) led off the top of the sixth with a single and then Sr. OF Blake Leddy (Saginaw/Swan Valley) would walk to put men on first and second with just one out.  San Miguel would be hit by a pitch to load the bases, but a fly out would leave all three runners stranded and the score still at 2-1.

Jock would strike out two more batters in the bottom of the sixth and the Scots held on to the slim 2-1 lead heading in to the final inning.

Sr. OF Yoan Delrosa (Bronx, NY/Morris) led off the seventh with a single and would go to second thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Walters. With two outs, So. OF Pat Finn (Allentown/Almont) recorded a pinch-hit double to score Delrosa and extend the Alma advantage to 3-1 going in the the home half of the inning.

The Comets went three up and three down in the seventh to give the Scots the 3-1 victory and the split.

De La Rosa, Dominguez, Cruz and Finn each collected one hit, with Finn recording the lone RBI for the Scots.

Jock improves to 3-1 on the year after giving up eight hits, while striking out 11 batters in 7.0 innings pitched.

The Scots will face off against Olivet again tomorrow, with both teams traveling to the campus of Adrian College for a doubleheader set to start at 1:00 p.m.