Alma, Mich. - The Alma College softball team remains tied for first with Trine University in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) after splitting a doubleheader with them on Wednesday (Apr. 27) at Scots Park. In an extra inning duel Alma defeated Trine 4-3 before falling 7-1 in the second game.

Game One: Alma 4; Trine 3;

After 11 innings of action the Alma College softball team walked away from game one with the 4-3 win over Trine. The Scots won on a walk off sacrifice fly from senior Kassidi Adams (Montrose, Mich./Montrose) who scored senior Sarah Collier (Fenton, Mich./Fenton).

Trine took control at the start of the game notching a run in both the top of the first and second inning while not allowing Alma to generate a hit in those two innings to bring the score to 2-0.

The bottom of the third frame was where the action happened for the Scots, scoring their first three runs of the game. It all started when lead off batter, sophomore Lauren Sabuda (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Heart Academy) singled to left field then freshman Chelsea Schweiger (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair) put down the sacrifice bunt to put Sabuda in to scoring position. Junior Anna Couture (Posen, Mich./Posen) followed up right behind with an RBI double to score Sabuda. With two outs on the board sophomore Mary Brooks (Portland, Mich./Portland) added to the action with an RBi double to left center scoring Couture. Alma took the 3-2 lead on an RBI single from freshman McKenzie Creed (Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg) who scored Brooks. 

Neither team notched a run for the next three innings in the battle of pitchers as only five batters between the two teams made it on base and only one hit was recorded, by Alma. Junior Morgan Stratton (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) is atop of the MIAA with an ERA of .60 while Trine's pitcher, Justine Robles is second in the league with a 1.42 ERA. 

Trine tied the game up 3-3 on two hits to record one run in the top of the seventh inning. Even after lead off batter Schweiger recorded a single and was sacrificed over Alma was unable to score and the game went in to extra innings. 

Due to the international tie breaker rule after the 10th inning the offensive team shall begin its turn at bat with a runner automatically placed on second base. Neither team capitalized in the 10th inning but the Scots small ball paid off in the bottom of the 11th. 

Collier was placed on second in the bottom of the 11th and junior Danielle Service (Mason, Mich./Mason) sacrificed her over to third. Adams finished the job with a sacrifice fly to left field to score Collier on the tag to win game one 4-3 over Trine. 

Sabuda went 2-for-4 to lead Alma and four separate Scots, Couture, Brooks, Creed and Collier all tallied one RBI in the victory. Stratton (15-4) pitched all 11.0 innings, her 15th complete game of the season. She faced 45 batters allowing only three runs on eight hits all while fanning eight batters.

Game Two: Alma, 1; Trine 7;

Alma fell to Trine in the second game of the doubleheader, 7-1. Senior Kayla Merice (Dorr, Mich./Wayland) recorded two hits going 2-for-3 in the loss.

Sophomore Katie McClure (Manchester, Mich./Manchester) received the loss (12-3) allowing six earned runs while striking out three batters.

Alma took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third after Brooks put down the bunt to score Schweiger who was already in running position on third. Trine answered in the bottom half of the third with four runs.

The Scots allowed only one hit in the fourth and fifth inning but could not generate enough hits offensively before Trine added three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Alma was unable to generate any runs in the seventh and Trine won game two, 7-1. 

Alma will have one last regular season doubleheader this Saturday (Apr. 30) on the road against Kalamazoo College. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1:00 p.m.