Thursday morning saw the beginning of the MIAA Softball Tournament for the four qualifying teams and the first game pitted the #3 seed Alma College Scots versus the #2 seed Hope College Flying Dutch down in Angola, Indiana.

The Scots used strong pitching, opportunistic offense and solid defense to throttle Hope by a score of 5-0. The win improved Alma's record to 24-13, meanwhile, Hope fell to 27-8 and sent them off to play #4 Saint Mary's College in the loser's bracket.

In Alma's game two on the day, the Scots took on #1 seed Trine University, an 8-7 winner versus SMC earlier in the day, in a winner's bracket contest. The Scots built a 4-0 lead and held on for the hard-fought 4-2 victory over the Thunder.

The Scots, now 25-13 this season, will wait for the winner of tomorrow's loser bracket game between Trine (now 34-3 on the in 2015) and Saint Mary's which is scheduled for Noon. Start time for that contest is scheduled for approximately 2:00 p.m.

MIAA First Game: Alma 5, Hope 0

The game began as a pitching duel between Alma starter So. Morgan Stratton (Grand Blanc/Grand Blanc) and her counterpart from Hope Sydney Jones. Each team managed three hits a piece through the first three innings, but the game remained scoreless heading to the fourth.

In the top of the fourth, Sr. 3B Lea Lusk (Columbiaville, Lakeville) opened with a double and was pinch ran for by So. Celeste Boyer (South Lyon/South Lyon East). Fr. RF Mary Brooks (Portland/Portland) follwed with a walk and So. Kelsey Spencer (Eaton Rapids/Eaton Rapids) ran for her.

A fielder's choice by Jr. Sarah Collier (Fenton/Fenton) put runners on the corners with one out and Fr. Erin Lee (Commerce/Walled Lake Northern) pinch ran for her. A ground out moved Lee to second for the second out. Boyer then scored and Lee advanced to third on a passed ball that gave Alma a 1-0 lead.

Sr. C Cori Witham (North Muskegon/North Muskegon) hit a single to right field that scored Lee and then moved to second on a wild pitch. Sr. Breu Olling (Breckenridge/Breckenridge) pinch ran for Witham at that point and came around to score on a single by Sr. CF Marie Zill (Chelsea/Chelsea) for a 3-0 advantage.

The Scots added single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to increase thier lead to 5-0, more than enough for Stratton, who threw a complete game for the victory. She allowed five hits in the win, with one walk and 11 strikeouts.

Alma made it 4-0 in inning five as Lusk reached on a single with two outs and moved to third on a hit by Spencer. Then, as Spencer attempted to steal second, an error by the catcher allowed Lusk to scamper home for the run.

In inning six, Sr. LF Brooke Hein (Grand Rapids/Northview) led off with a single and eventually Alma would load the bases with one out. So. 2B Anna Couture (Posen/Posen) hit a sacrifice fly that scored Hein for the final 5-0 advantage.

Lusk finished three for four with a run scored, while Hein was two for three with one run plated.

MIAA Second Game: Alma 4, Trine 2

In the nightcap, another fantastic outing by Stratton in the circle and a couple of two-run innings offensively, propelled the Scots to a thrilling 4-2 victory in a winner's bracket game of the MIAA Tournament.

Alma played as the home team in game two and after Stratton gave up a leadoff single in the top half of the frame, she got three outs in row. The Scots took their turn in the bottom of the inning and scored two unearned runs on one hit and one Trine error.

With two outs, Sr. SS Devan Olah (White Lake/Lakeland) walked and Lusk doubled, advancing Olah to third. Then, both runners scored when the Thunder dropped a fly ball to left field hit by Brooks.

The score remained 2-0 Alma as Stratton and her counterpart, Bree Fuller, settled into grooves that kept the two teams off the scoreboard. Stratton retired nine batters in a row at one point, while Fuller was just as good on the other side.

The Scots added two more big runs in the bottom of the fifth on two hits and another Thunder miscue. Zill reached on a bunt single, Couture fouled out and Merice walked to put two runners on base. An error by Trine's second baseman scored Zill and moved Merice to second base where she scored on an RBI single by Lusk to make it a 4-0 ballgame.

But, Trine isn't the fifth ranked team in the country for no reason. Everyone in attendance and listening online knew that the Thunder would not go down quietly and they didn't.

A leadoff homerun by Carly Searles in the top of the sixth made it 4-1 and a walk and a double put runners on second and third with no out. But, Stratton wasn't to be denied. After a ground out made it 4-2, Stratton coaxed a foul out to Merice and then recorded a strikeout to end the threat and preserve a two-run lead.

Alma got a two-out single by Couture in the bottom of the sixth frame but could not get her around, setting up an exciting seventh inning.

A fly out and a strikeout gave the Thunder two quick outs, but a single put the tying runner at the plate. A fitting end pitted Stratton against the four-year standout Searles and the Alma sophomore won the battle, as a ground out to third base ended the inning and the game.

Stratton went seven full innings for the win and allowed just four hits against the powerful Thunder lineup. She had three walks to go with nine strikeouts (20 on the day) and improved her 2015 record to 14-5.

At the plate, Lusk added two more hits in three at bats, while four other players added one hit a piece in the victory.