On a sunny Wednesday afternoon at Scots Park, the Alma College Softball team hosted Kalamazoo College in an MIAA competition after a postponed doubleheader the day before.

Alma would take both games from the Hornets to end the day with an overall record 12-10 and a conference record of 3-1. Kalamazoo would fall to 5-9 on the season and 2-2 in league play.

Game One: Alma 5 Kalamazoo 0

Starting right where she left off just two days prior after facing only seven batters in two innings, So. P Morgan Stratton (Grand Blanc/Grand Blanc) struck out three keeping game one scoreless through two.

Moving in to the bottom of the third, from the lead off position Sr. OF Brooke Hein (Grand Rapids/GR Northview) walked. Fr. OF Mary Brooks (Portland/Portland) put down a sacrifice bunt at advance Hein to second. A single up the middle from Sr. OF Marie Zill (Chelsea/Chelsea) moved Hein to third, before she scored on an error by the catcher. Sr. IF Devan Olah (White Lake/Lakeland) gained an RBI as she singled up the middle scoring Zill. Two groundouts would end the inning for the Scots, but not before they took the 2-0 lead.

In the fourth, the Hornets left one runner on base yet were unable to score, while Alma was able to notch another run on the scoreboard. After an Alma fly out, Hein reached on a Hornet error followed by an RBI double from Brooks to score Hein leaving one runner on base. Zill reached on a fielder's choice, but Alma was unable to turn another run leaving the score 3-0 after four.

Stratton continued to roll as she struck out three more in the top of the fifth and sixth innings to keep the Scots lead 3-0 going in to the home half of the sixth.

In the sixth, leadoff batter Sr. C Cori Witham (North Muskegon/North Muskegon) knocked a single up the middle. Fr. PR Erin Lee (Commerce/Walled Lake Northern) came in as a pinch runner stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch. So. Anna Couture (Posen/Posen) bashed a single to right field followed closely by a single RBI from Hein to score Lee.

A double play would bring the first two outs of the sixth inning but Alma managed one more as Zill hit a single scoring Couture.

Kalamazoo came up short in the top of the seventh and Alma walked away with the 5-0 win in game one of the doubleheader.

Stratton pitched all seven inning,s improving her record to 7-3 on the season after allowing three hits and no runs with nine strikeouts.

Zill went two-for-three in the game earning both a run and RBI, while stealing a team-high three bases. Hein, Brooks, and Jr. 1B Sarah Collier (Fenton/Fenton) went one-for-two, while Hein and Brooks each notched an RBI.

Game Two: Alma 16 Kalamazoo 0

The Scots came into game two determined to produce another win as they had a tremendous first inning scoring 12 runs.

Olah would start the inning with a single to center field. Jr. C Kayla Merice (Dorr/Wayland) was hit by pitch and then runners advanced on a passed ball putting them in scoring position. Lusk earned the first RBI of the game as her single up the middle scored pinch runner So. Celest Boyer (South Lyon/South Lyon East).

Three-consecutive walks would load the bases and score Boyer and Lusk. Hein smacked a two RBI single scoring Brooks and Collier leaving two on base with no outs.

A sacrifice bunt by Fr. P Katie McClure (Manchester/Manchester) recorded the first out and moved both runners in to scoring position. Olah would hit a single scoring two more Alma runners bringing the score to 7-0.

Four repeated singles increased the Alma lead 10-0 before a strikeout brought the Scots to two outs with two runners on base. McClure reached on an error and an Alma runner would be out at home but not before Collier crossed home for the second time of the inning, bringing the score 12-0 after one inning.

Game two remained scoreless until the top of the third when Alma was able to put up three more runs on the board. Leadoff batter Lusk walked then stole second. A groundout then two walks would follow loading the bases for the Scots. Hein reached first on a fielder's choice as Lusk was out at home.

A three RBI double by McClure brought the score 15-0 before a groundout left one Alma runner on base.

The Scots defense prevailed as they turned a double play and ended the bottom of the third inning with a groundout leaving no Hornet runners on base.

So. IF Danielle Service (Mason/Mason) led off as the pinch hitter recording a single followed by another single from pinch hitter Sr. P Breu Olling (Breckenridge/Breckenridge), putting Service in scoring position. A strikeout brought the first out of the inning. Pinch hitter Jr. Addie Loftus (Frankenmuth/Frankenmuth) grounded out to the short stop but not before she earned an RBI scoring Service for the last Alma run of the day.

The Hornets would battle in the bottom of both the fourth and fifth inning but were unable to notch a run as the Scots earned the 16-0 win.

Olah ended game two crossing the plate two times as she went two-for-three and earned two RBI's. Lusk was two-for-two earning an RBI and two runs scored. Merice, Couture, Brooks and Hein also logged two RBI's. Olling led in RBI's as she knocked in a total of four runners.

The game only went to five innings as McClure (2-4) earned the win as she pitched three innings allowing three hits and tallying one strikeout. Sr. P Samantha Pierce (Clarklake/Michigan Center) came in the final two innings of the game striking out three and allowed only two hits. 

The Scots return to action on  Saturday, April 4, traveling to take on Olivet College in a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.