After a postponed doubleheader on March 27th, the Alma College Softball team hosted Hope College on Monday afternoon at Scots Park in both teams' first MIAA conference games of the 2015 season. Alma earned a split against Hope, taking the first game 3-1 before dropping the second contest 5-3.

Heading into a doubleheader against MIAA foe Kalamazoo College at home tomorrow, Alma sits at 10-10 overall and 1-1 mark in the conference. Hope is now 11-3 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA.

Game One: Alma 3, Hope 1

In the opening game, the visiting Flying Dutch saw a quick first inning, as So. P Morgan Stratton (Grand Blanc/Grand Blanc) struck out the first batter followed by two groundouts. 

In the bottom of the first, the Scots were in a position to score after Jr. C Kayla Merice (Door/Wayland) walked, Sr. 3B Lea Lusk (Columbiaville/Lakeville) reached on a fielder's choice, and Jr. 1B Sarah Collier (Fenton/Fenton) singled up the middle. But a groundout ended the threat and brought the first inning to an end.

After Hope did not score in their half of the second, the Scots' bats connected and tallied three runs in the bottom of the second inning.

With one out, Sr. OF Brooke Hein (Grand Rapids/GR Northview) singled down the left field line. After a second out, Sr. OF Marie Zill (Chelsea/Chelsea) hit a double to right center scoring Hein and recording her second RBI of the season. Sr. IF Devan Olah (White Lake/Lakeland) followed with a double to left field that brought Zill home.

Then, Merice notched her second walk on her second at bat giving the Scots two runners on base. Lusk singled to right field and received her 12th RBI of the season as she knocked in pinch runner Fr. OF Allie Cianciolo (Troy/Troy) giving Alma a 3-0 lead. A groundout ended the second inning.

With the score still 3-0 after the top of the fourth, the Scots looked to increase their lead when lead off batter, Sr. C Cori Witham (North Muskegon/North Muskegon), started a threat with a hit single up the middle. Zill had a sacrifice bunt moving pinch runner So. Celeste Boyer (South Lyon/South Lyon East) into scoring position. A walk by Merice put two on base, but a strikeout killed the threat, keeping the score 3-0.

The Flying Dutch notched their lone run in the top of the seventh in an attempt to earn the comeback victory, but the Scots prevailed as Stratton ended the game by logging the final two outs of the game - both strikeouts.

Zill went 1-for-2 with a double and a RBI from the plate with a sacrifice bunt, while Hein finished 2-for-3. Lusk and Olah contributed the other two RBI's in the Scots victory.

In the circle, Stratton (6-3) earned the win after giving up only one run and four hits, notching seven strikeouts with zero walks.

Game Two: Hope 5, Alma 3

In the nightcap, Alma took to the plate first with the intent to start like game one. After a groundout, Merice singled up the middle, followed by Lusk with an identical single moving Merice to second. But back-to-back strikeouts ended the first inning rally.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the second, when the Flying Dutch would jump out to a lead by scoring two runs to take the 2-0 lead.

Alma responded in the top of the third, when lead off batter Zill notched a single up the middle and then a double by Olah advanced Zill to third base. After a popout, a passed ball scored Zill and moved Olah into scoring position. Lusk had a strong at bat, and in the end logged a sacrifice fly to left field scoring Olah. A strikeout ended Alma's frame with the game tied 2-2.

As the game turned to the bottom of the fourth inning, Hope managed to score two more runs increasing their lead 4-2.

In the top of the fifth, Alma lead off batter Zill homered to right field cutting Hope's lead to 4-3. Then, Olah recorded her second double of game two and a sacrifice bunt advanced pinch runner Boyer to scoring position. However, a strikeout and groundout brought the inning to an end, leaving two runners on base.

A Flying Dutch homerun gave Hope a much needed insurance run to increase their advantage to 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Alma looked to answer in their last attempt at bat in the top of the seventh but came up short after three groundouts to end the game. That is how the game would end as Alma was not able to muster any additional offense and the visitors from Holland salvaged a split of the two games.

Olah and Zill led the team with two hits in the second game, while Zill also notched an RBI. Lusk, Merice and Hein all recorded one hit in the game, while Lusk had the second and only other RBI of the game.

Scots Fr. P Katie McClure (Manchester/Manchester) got burdened with the loss after pitching 5.0 innings, giving up seven hits, five runs, walking two, and striking out one. She fell to 1-4 on the season with the loss.

The Alma College Softball team returns to action tomorrow, March 31, to take on Kalamazoo College in another MIAA doubleheader. First pitch at Scots Park is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.