Alma, Mich. - The Alma College softball team defeated Bluffton 18-9 on Friday afternoon in game one of a scheduled doubleheader before game two was canceled due to darkness.

The Scots (12-5) scored at least four runs in three innings, including five in the first and a total of ten in the final two. Mary Brooks (Portland, Mich. / Portland) went 3-for-5 with two home runs as part of seven Scots extra-base hits. Seven Alma players tallied RBIs; all of them had at least two.

Brooks also earned the win after pitching the final 2.2 innings and allowing one run on two hits and two strikeouts.

How it Happened

• Alma scored five runs in the first inning on four hits and one error. Kaylee Martin (North Branch, Mich. / North Branch) doubled home both Riley Terwilliger (Mount Pleasant, Mich. / Sacred Heart Academy) and McKenzie Creed (Edwardsburg, Mich. / Edwardsburg) after Creed walked and Terwilliger reached on an error. Katie McClure (Manchester, Mich. / Manchester) and Madyson Piche (Sault Saint Marie, Mich. / Sault Area) also recorded RBIs in the inning on a double and single, respectively. All five runs came with two outs.
• Bluffton's Josie McElroy hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. Brittany Huff led off the third inning with a home run to make it 5-3 after three innings.
• With the score 6-4 in the top of the fifth, Mary Brooks hit a leadoff home run and McClure singled home Piche, who doubled, to take an 8-4 lead.
• Bluffton tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with four runs on two hits, three walks and two wild pitches.
• Alma came through with six runs in the top of the sixth. Brooks hit a two-run shot after a walk to Creed. McClure hit a sacrifice fly to score Terwilliger. Piche scored on a single up the middle by Preslee Deater (Grant, Mich. / Grant) and Chelsea Schweiger (St. Clair, Mich. / St. Clair) singled home both Deater and Tucker.
• The Scots tacked on four more runs in the seventh, with Deater coming through with a two-run double to center field.

Notables

• Mary Brooks leads the team and is tied for fifth in the MIAA with four home runs. She is also third in the conference in RBI with 26.
• Cassidy Tucker went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Tucker is third in the MIAA in batting average (.540), on-base percentage (.577) and runs scored (24).
• Madyson Piche also went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a game-high five runs scored. She also reached twice on errors.
• Piche is the team's second-best hitter in its last five games, going 8-for-19 with two doubles and a home run.
• Katie McClure (Manchester, Mich. / Manchester) went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI.

What's Next

Alma plays Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday (March 24) as part of a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Contact: Zach Russo, Assistant Sports Information Director