GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Alma College softball team took on the Calvin University Knights in the MIAA Conference Championship Series Friday on Calvin's home field. The Scots fell in game one, 1-0 in 10 innings, before coming out victorious in game two by a score of 5-1. Alma and Calvin will meet in a series-deciding game on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

Haley Ullrich was the Scots' lone pitcher in both games. The junior threw a total of 16.1 innings on the day while giving up zero earned runs and posting 17 strikeouts. 

The first game was a game of who was willing to break first with both Ullrich and Calvin's pitcher going well past the normal seven innings of a game. The Scots had oppotunities in both the seventh and eighth innings with runners on first and second in both frames but were unable to cash anything in. 

Finally in the bottom of the 10th, a Calvin batter got to second on a Scot error and then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. The Knights then scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch to take the victory. 

Alma went into game two needing a win to keep their championship hopes alive. The Scots scored in the first inning with Chole Deckrow driving home Emma Fraser on two-out single. 

As Ullrich kept the Knights off the board, the Scots added on three runs in the fifth with RBI hits from Fraser and Deckrow, as well as a sacrifice fly from Hadyn Terwilliger to make it 4-0 Alma.

Calvin broke through in the sixth with a run and then had runners on the corners with one out. Ullrich stayed in control though by forcing a ground out and then a fly out to get out of the jam and keep the three-run advantage. Taylor Griffith would score an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a Knight error. 

Ullrich was able to close out her complete game with three ground outs in the seventh to seal the victory and continue the Scots' season. 

Fraser the sophomore had a terrific day at the plate with a total of six hits on the day. Deckrow had four hits between the two games including a 3-of-3 game in the second contest. Griffith went 4-for-4 at the plate in the Alma win. 

The Scots and and Knights will meet tomorrow again on Calvin's home field in what will decide the MIAA Tournament Champion and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. 

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