Over the weekend the Alma College baseball team continued conference play, hitting the road to take on Olivet College on the campus of Adrian College. Alma would split with the Comets on the day, losing 5-2 in the first game and then earning a 4-3 victory in the second game.

At the end of the day, the Scots overall record would stand at 11-5, with an MIAA conference record of 2-2. Olivet is now 3-9 on the year with a 2-2 mark in league play.

Game One - Olivet 5, Alma 2

Alma quickly fell behind three runs in the top of the first due to errors on the defensive side.  After three groundouts Alma was unable to score in the first inning.

After holding Olivet to no runs in both the second and third inning, Alma saw its first run of the game in the bottom of the third. After a pop up to center field, Jr. OF David Carles (Staten Island, NY/Petrides) sent a double to left field to give the Scots one out with one on. Jr. C AJ Acton (Temecula, CA/Linfield Christian) then singled to left field to score Carles.

Olivet struck again in the top of the fourth after a single and an Alma error to increase their lead 4-1. Alma was not able to answer in the bottom of the fourth as the first three batters grounded out.

In the bottom of the fifth with only one out, Carles walked then stole second to move in to scoring position. So. IF Alex Peczynski (Farmington Hills/Detroit Catholic Central) knocked a single to right field, but Carles was thrown out at home from right field.

The first three batters for both teams quickly ended the sixth inning. Olivet was able to get their fifth run of game one in the top of the seventh due to a walk and single.

In Alma's last inning  they were only able to notch one more run. With one out Jr. OF Jose Corniel (Bronx, NY/Norman Thomas) singled to left center field and stole second, moving into scoring position. A groundout brought the Scots to two outs and pinch hitter Jr. OF Erick Cruz (Brooklyn, NY/Colegio Juan XX III) singled to left field, scoring Corniel. So. IF Jerome Jackson (Harper Woods/Harper Woods) pinch ran for Cruz advancing to second on a wild pitch. So. OF Pat Finn walked and the tying run was up to bat; however, as Peczynski reached on a fielder's choice Jackson was out at third and Alma fell in game one 5-2.

On the mound, Jr. RHP Matt Launstein (Flushing/Flushing) earns his first loss of the year, after allowing eight hits, two walks and five runs in 7.0 innings pitched to fall to 0-1.

Cruz went 1-1 with an RBI and Acton went 1-2 with an RBI, while Corneil swiped two bases.

Game Two - Alma 4, Olivet 3

Olivet scored in the top of the first, but the Scots started off game two strong with only one out. Sr. Yoan Delrosa (Bronx, NY/Morris) was hit by a pitch, followed by a single up the middle by Jr. C Doug Walters (Brighton/Brighton) advancing Delrosa to second. A groundout RBI by Finn would advance the runners, scoring Delrosa. Sr. IF Juan Dominguez (New York, NY/Blue Ridge) reached on an error, which scored Walters. After a stolen base by Dominguez, a single up the middle by Corniel would score Dominguez. A strikeout would end the inning for the Scots as they took the lead 3-1.

In the bottom of the second, Sr. IF Blake Leddy (Saginaw/Swan Valley) reached first on an Olivet error. A sacrifice bunt by Fr. IF Matthew Minaudo (Clinton Township/De La Salle) advanced Leddy to scoring position, but two groundouts would end the inning.

Both the Comets and the Scots would go three up and three down in the third inning. 

The Scots defense would prevail in the top of the fourth inning, and in the bottom of the fourth Corniel would hit a double to left field.  Corniel then stole third and advanced home to score the run increasing the Alma lead to 4-1. Two groundouts and a strikeout would end the inning.

Groundouts and pop ups would bring the fifth inning to a close for both sides.

Olivet fought back in the sixth inning scoring one off of a walk and two singles. So. P Alex Valasek (Saginaw/Nouvel Catholic Central) entered to pitch with the bases loaded allowing only one more run to be scored, and thus cutting the Comets deficit 4-3.

In an attempt to answer, Finn singled to left field, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Dominguez, advancing Finn; however, the Scots were unable to capitalize in the bottom of the sixth, keeping the lead 4-3 entering the final inning.

Olivet's first batter reached on an Alma error, but two groundouts and a strikeout concluded the game and the Scots won game two 4-3.

Sr. P Jean Soucy (La Pocatiere, Quebec/Cardinal-Roy) got the win to improve to 3-1 on the year, after pitching 5.1 innings, allowing six hits on three runs and walked two batters. Meanwhile, Valasek notched his first save of the season in 1.2 innings pitched along with one strikeout.

Walters and Finn were both 1-3 with one RBI, and Corniel went 2-3 with two RBI. Corniel recorded three stolen bases and Dominguez picked up one stolen base.

The Scots continue conference play on Saturday, March 28, when they welcome Kalamazoo College to Alma for a doubleheader set to start at 1:00 p.m.