Alma, Mich. - The Alma College softball team clinched a share of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) title for the first time since 2011 after sweeping Kalamazoo in a doubleheader on Saturday (April 30) afternoon.

Alma defeated the Hornets 3-2 in an extra-inning battle before downing them in five innings in the second game, 12-3. Alma rounded out the regular season with an overall record of 29-7 and a league record of 14-2. 

The Scots will participate in the MIAA Tournament, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 5. The site of the tournament will be determined following the conclusion of the game between Trine and Saint Mary's, which was delayed on Saturday due to weather. The game will resume at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 1. 

Game 1 - Alma 3, at Kalamazoo 2 (10 innings)

The first game was a pitching duel while Alma recorded only one hit in the first seven regulation innings but junior Morgan Stratton (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) was solid in the circle and did not give up one hit until the bottom of the 10th inning. 

The action came in the 10th inning where both teams generated their only runs of the game. Due to the international rule, once the 10th inning hits a runner is automatically placed on second base.

Freshman McKenzie Creed (Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg) was the lead off in the inning and she sacrificed runner, Riley Terwilliger (Mount Pleasant, Mich/Sacred Heart Academy) from second to third. Senior Sarah Collier (Fenton, Mich./Fenton) reached on a fielder's choice and Terwilliger crossed the plate to give Alma the 1-0 lead. 

Sophomore Katie McClure (Manchester, Mich./Manchester) hit her first home run of the season at an opportune time notching two RBIs. Kalamazoo threatened in the bottom half of the frame scoring two runs but Alma held them off and won the first game 3-2 in 10 innings of play.

Stratton threw all 10 innings for a complete game, improving her record to 16-4 on the season. She allowed only four hits and one earned run as she fanned 10 Hornet batters. McClure led the hitting side going 2-for-3 with another team-high of two RBIs.

Game 2 - Alma 12, at Kalamazoo 3 (5 innings)

Alma retired Kalamazoo in five innings in the second game after recording 13 total hits in the game. The Scots put the first run on the board in the bottom of the first with an RBI single up the middle from Creed to score sophomore Mary Brooks (Portland, Mich./Portland).

Neither of the team notched a run in the second inning but Alma crossed the plate three more times in the bottom of the third inning. Creed knocked an RBI double to score a runner then Alma capitalized off of a Hornet error to tally two more runs. Alma went in to the top of the fourth with a 4-0 advantage.

Kalamazoo recorded their only three runs of the game in the top half of the fourth frame on three hits and one Alma error. Alma stopped the damage after back-to-back strikeouts from Stratton, who came in for the save.

Alma took control of the game in the final two innings after tallying four runs in both the fourth and fifth inning to mercy Kalamazoo 12-3. 

Nine Scots recorded at least one hit in the victory while Creed paced the way going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Collier had a three-run shot, her fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth to record a team high three RBIs. 

McClure earned the victory to improve her record to 13-3 on the year throwing 3.1 innings and allowing three hits. Stratton came in for the save pitching 1.2 innings, recording her fifth save of the year.