On a day better described as a cool winter afternoon, the Alma College Softball team traveled south to Indiana for a big MIAA doubleheader against league foe Trine University. Things did not go as planned in Angola and the visiting Scots dropped two games against the Thunder by scores of 3-0 and 13-1 in five innings.

The two losses eliminated any chance of the Scots hosting the MIAA Tournament later this month, but the team is still poised to earn a spot in the four-team competition.

Alma now has a league record of 10-4 and are 19-13 overall, while Trine improved to 13-1 in the MIAA and 31-2 in 2015.

Game One: Trine 3, Alma 0

In the first game, the Thunder struck right away in the bottom of the first inning as Carly Searles led off with a triple and then scored on a single for a 1-0 Trine advantage. The Scots could not muster much of anything against Trine starter Justine Robles.

Finally, in the top of the fourth frame, Jr. DP Kayla Merice (Dorr/Wayland) led of with a single and was pinch ran for by So. Jade Garcia (Kentwood/East Kentwood). A attempted sacrifice bunt by Sr. SS Devan Olah (White Lake/Lakeland) led to Garcia being safe at second and Olah standing on first.

However, Garcia came off the base and was tagged out by Trine's shortstop, leaving the Scots with just one base runner. Unfortunately, back to back strikeouts then ended the threat, preserving Trine's one-run lead.

Neither team mounted any kind of threat until the bottom of the sixth inning when Alma's defense took a nosedive and was directly responsible for two Trine insurance runs of off Alma starting So. P Morgan Stratton (Grand Blanc/Grand Blanc).

A leadoff walk did not help matters, but then four Scots errors gave the Thunder two unearned runs and a 3-0 lead heading into the seventh frame - almost an impossible task against someone throwing as well as Robles did today.

But, the Scots never give up, and with two outs, So. 2B Anna Couture (Posen/Posen) singled to give the visitors some life. However, Robles' 10th strikeout of the contest ended the threat and gave the Thunder the game one victory.

Stratton pitched very well in the loss, going six innings and allowing three hits, one earned run, two walks and three strikeouts. Merice and Couture finished with Alma's only two hits in the defeat.

Game Two: Trine 13, Alma 1 (5 Innings)

The nightcap wasn't pretty for the Scots as they might have had a mental letdown after game one. Fr. P Katie McClure (Manchester/Manchester) started for Alma and made a couple of costly mistakes that resulted in Trine runs. In each of the first two innings, the Thunder got the leadoff runner on base and in both cases, the next batter homered. That put Trine ahead 4-0 and Sr. P Samantha Pierce (Clarklake/Michigan Center) relieved McClure.

The Scots fought back in the bottom of the second by scoring one run - but it had the potential to be more. Sr. 3B Lea Lusk (Columbiaville/Lakeville) led off with a single and Fr. RF Mary Brooks (Portland/Portland) followed with a double. Then Couture doubled scoring Lusk but Brooks held up at third - giving Alma two runners in scoring position with no outs.

However, Trine P Bree Fuller buckled down and recorded two strikeouts and a ground out to squash the Scots rally at one run, leaving Trine with a 4-1 advantage after two innings.

After a scoreless third frame, the error bug inflicted the Scots again in the top of the fourth. Two miscues, along with three Thunder hits put the Scots in a 7-1 hole. The rest of the train went off the tracks in the fifth as Trine pounded two more homeruns and put up a six spot to put them ahead by 12 runs.

Alma then went down in order in the bottom of the frame and Trine walked off with the 13-1 five inning victory. McClure got the loss for her one inning stint, while Pierce threw 3.2 innings and allowed eight runs (six earned), seven hits and one walk. Jr. P Addie Loftus (Frankenmuth/Frankenmuth) pitched the final out of the fifth and allowed three hits and one run.

Offensively, the Scots had just five hits off of Fuller and came from three players. Lusk and Brooks each had two, while Couture had the other one in the loss.

The Scots finish the MIAA regular season with two games at Albion on Saturday and then will close out their 2015 home schedule on Sunday when Ohio Northern University comes to town.