On Saturday afternoon, the Alma College Baseball team traveled to Adrian College to compete in a key MIAA doubleheader. The Bulldogs took game one by a score of 8-0, and in the nightcap, the home team came from behind to win 3-2 in nine innings.

With the two losses, Alma fell to 5-9 in the MIAA and 14-12 overall, while Adrian improved 19-6 in 2015 and 12-2 in the league.

Game One: Adrian 8, Alma 0

In the first game, Adrian struck fast with three runs in the bottom of the first off of Alma starting Jr. P Colin Nash (Brighton/Brighton). Nash was victimized by a couple of walks and a triple and Adrian paid him pay for the mistakes.

The Bulldogs scored two additional runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-0 advantage. In that frame, Nash allowed a hit batter and then a homerun as the talented home team again took Alma mistakes and turned them into runs.

The final three runs of the game for Adrian came in the bottom of the fourth as they extended their advantage to 8-0. The Bulldogs struck for four hits in the frame off of Alma Fr. relief P Eric Frontzak (Naperville, IL/Montini Catholic).

Offensively, the Scots were held to just one hit against Adrian P Eric Schmidt, who threw a complete game and struck out 10 batters to go with two walks. The only Alma hit came from So. PH Pat Finn (Allentown/Almont). Finn's single came with two outs in the top of the seventh, ending Schmidt's dream of a no-hitter. Unfortunately, the Scots could not add to the hit and fell by eight runs in the first game of the day.

Game Two: Adrian 3, Alma 2 (9 Innings)

In the nightcap, Alma was the team that took the early lead. Sr. RF Yoan Delrosa (Bronx, NY/Morris) led off a single and would eventually be on third with the bases loaded and one out. Sr. LF Juan Dominguez (New York, Blue Ridge) was the one that would come through, as he singled to right field that scored Delrosa for a 1-0 lead.

However, the next two batters would fail to capitalize on the bases being loaded, and the visitors would have to settle for the one-run inning.

After the Scots held the Bulldogs scoreless in the first, Alma would extend their lead in the top of the second frame. With two outs, Delrosa singled and stole second base. That was followed by a clutch single by Jr. C Doug Walters (Brighton/Brighton) that scored Delrosa and put Alma ahead 2-0.

Jr. P Matt Launstein (Flushing/Flushing) cruised through the first five innings on the mound for the Scots and the two teams went into the sixth with the Scots still up by two. However, after the Scots went scoreless in the top half of the sixth, trouble struck for the visitors.

After a quick out, Launstein gave up a walk and a single and was replaced on the hill by Jr. P Philip Jock (Wales/Memphis). Jock got the second out of the inning on a sac bunt that moved the runners to second and third base. However, the next batter for Adrian doubled to left center for two RBI's that tied the contest at 2-2.

The Scots recorded a single in the top of the seventh but could not score, and So. P Alex Valasek (Saginaw/Nouvel Catholic) pitched a scoreless bottom half of the inning for the visitors. The two teams headed to extra innings and again, Alma got a runner on in the eighth, but could not score.

The bottom of the eighth inning saw Jr. P Blake Ordiway (Holly/Holly) start on the mound for the Scots. He allowed a double, a walk and a sac bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. Sr. P Eric Strickler (Lapeer/Lapeer East) came on in relief and shut the door, sending the game into the ninth inning.

After a three up and three down inning for the Scots, the bottom half of the ninth would prove to be a fatal frame for the visitors. Strickler allowed a lead-off single and then recorded a pop out. However, another single and a walk loaded the bases with just the one out. An eight pitch at bat ensued with the next Adrian hitter but ultimaely he earned a walk off of Strickler and the winning run crossed the plate for the home team.

Alma finished with seven hits total offensively, with Delrosa recording three of them and Walters adding two. Strickler fell to 0-1 on the season with the loss on the hill.

The two teams are scheduled to play another doubleheader on Sunday, this time in Alma. Start time at Klenk Park is at 1:00 p.m.