Auburndale, Fla. – The Alma College baseball team suffered its first loss of the 2019 season Monday (Feb. 25) to the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology (IN), 1-0. Senior pitcher Joseph Barrons (Kingston, Mich. / Kingston) started the game for the Scots and provided six shutout innings of work. But the Alma offense was unable to put a run on the board on only two hits. 

How It Happened

• Barrons came out of the gate on fire with five strikeouts through the first four innings while only going one batter over the minimum. 
• In the top of fifth, the Scots got their first hit of the game on a single up the middle by junior Carter Sanderson (Ilderton, Ont. / Central Secondary School). Alma flew out the next two at-bats though as the game stayed scoreless. 
• In the bottom half of the inning, the Fighting Engineers reached on a dropped third strike out. A double with one out put runners at second and third when Barrons fielded grounder and threw out the runner trying to score at home. The righty was able to work his way out of the inning with his sixth strikeout of the day. 
• Senior Bailey O'Keefe (Midland, Mich. / Bullock Creek) came out of the bullpen in the seventh and gave up two hits to start the inning that led to the only run of the game. O' Keefe was able to finish off the frame by getting the Rose-Hulman batter to swing at strike three with runners at first and second. 
• The Scots had their best opportunity to score in the eighth when freshman Joshua Robinson (Dewitt, Mich. / Dewitt) was hit by a pitch and sophomore Alex Dwan (Saginaw, Mich. / Novel Catholic Central) reached on a sacrifice bunt that saw the catcher throw it past the first basemen allowing Robinson and Dwan to advance to third and second with nobody out. But back-to-back strikeouts and an infield pop out ended the rally. 
• Alma went down in order in the ninth to end the game. 

Notables

• Barrons scattered only two hits and gave up zero walks to go with his seven strikeouts in his season debut. 
• Junior Max Trucks (Mt. Pleasant, Mich. / Mt. Pleasant) had the other hit in the game for the Scots.  
• Senior Alex Archambeault (Lansing, Mich. Waverly) pitched in the second-straight day for Alma for a scoreless eighth to keep the deficit at one.  
• The Scots struck out 11 times in the game.

Up Next

Alma is back on the diamond Tuesday (Feb. 26) for 1 p.m. game against Neumann University (PA).