Alma, Mich. - Today (Apr. 17) the #12 Alma College Softball team took a quick break from Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play and hosted Manchester University in a non conference match up at Scots Park. 

Alma brought down Manchester 5-0 in the first game before defeating them 5-0 again in the second game of the double header. Alma's overall record improved to 24-6 while Manchester dropped to 16-12 in their regular season play.

Game One: Alma 5; Manchester 0;

Alma notched runs in four separate innings in the first game of the doubleheader. Manchester only recorded two hits in the entire game and would not score one run to be defeated by Alma 5-0.

Junior Anna Couture (Posen, Mich./Posen) started it all off as the lead off in the bottom of the first with a single up the middle. There were two outs on the board before freshman McKenzie Creed (Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg) sent an RBI single down the left field line to score Couture and give Alma the quick 1-0 lead. 

Alma stretched the lead yet again in the bottom of the third inning after an RBI single to right center field from sophomore Mary Brooks (Portland, Mich./Portland) who scored yet again, runner Couture.

The Scots kept the bats swinging adding two runs in the bottom half of the fourth frame. Lead off, junior Danielle Service (Mason, Mich./Mason) knocked a single. Senior Kassidi Adams (Montrose, Mich./Montrose) put down a sacrifice punt to push her over to second. After a Manchester error, pinch runner sophomore Erin Lee (Commerce, Mich./Walled Lake Northern) scored for the first run of the inning. Couture recorded a sacrifice bunt to score sophomore Lauren Sabuda (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Heart Academy) later in the inning to push their lead to 4-0.

Alma added their last run in the bottom of the sixth when Sabuda put down a sacrifice to score Lee who had previously put herself on third after a triple to right field. 

Junior Morgan Stratton (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) put on a show in the circle pitching a complete game and striking out 11 of the 23 batters faced. She allowed only two hits throughout the entire game. Stratton's record improved to 13-4 on the season.

Game Two: Alma 5; Manchester 0;

The Scots continued to get the job done in the second game crossing the plate a total of five times in five separate innings. 

In the bottom of the second Creed singled to left field as the lead off and with two outs on the board sophomore Katie McClure (Manchester, Mich./Manchester) hit a single up the middle to score the first run of the game. 

With two hits in the bottom half of the third frame Brooks knocked a double to score junior Kelsey Spencer (Eaton Rapids, Mich./Eaton Rapids) who had recorded a bunt single earlier in the half inning. 

Alma had two hits in both the fourth, fifth and sixth inning and was able to notch one run in each of those individual innings. By the end of the sixth inning Alma was going in to the final frame with the 5-0 lead. Manchester was unable to generate any runs and Alma won the second game, 5-0. 

McClure was in the circle for Alma pitching a complete game and striking out a season high of eight batters in the victory and allowing only five hits. Her record improved to 11-2 on the season.

Brooks led the way in the second game going 2-for-3 with one double. Lee and Couture also hit for extra bases as Lee notched a triple and Couture added in a double. 

With exam week the student-athletes will take a week long break from competition. The Alma College softball team will face Olivet College on Sunday (Apr. 24) at home in Scots Park. The first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. directly followed by the second game of the double header.