Box Score DETROIT, Mich. – The Alma College baseball team traveled to the "Motor City" to play under the lights in their annual game at Comerica Park against Eastern Michigan University. The Scots trailed early in the contest but some late game heroics helped bring the Scots within one before falling to the Division I opponent, 15-12.
After a delayed start time due some light rain throughout the afternoon, the game kicked off at 6:45 PM with the Scots taking the mound first. Alma struggled in the first inning as the Eagles jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. The Scots shook the first inning off quick and focused on the rest of the game at hand as they were able to get on the scoreboard in the top of the second. Wyatt Nyswaner led the inning off with a single up the middle putting Alma on the basepaths. Cameron Bleasdale several batters later placed a ball into right field for another single advancing Nyswaner to second. Dalton D'Alexander followed right behind with a single of his own, this time to right field which allowed for Nyswaner to round third base and head for home to score Alma's first run of the game in the Major League ballpark. After keeping the Eagles off the board in the bottom of the Second, the top of the order was up for Alma heading into the third. Avery Carnciom stepped up to the plate with his eyes looking towards the downtown Detroit skyline as he took a pitch to deep left center field and dropped into the Eagles bullpen for a solo shot, his 12th of the season.
Eastern was able to add more onto the run total in the fourth the Eagles drove on four more runs, making the Alma deficit 11-2. Alma would not go down without a fight against the Eagles as the sixth inning proved to turn the momentum towards the Scots. Mac Hawley led the sixth off with a walk and was followed up with Kyler Warren reaching first after an error. Alma would load the bases after Stephen McGlade took a pitch to the body and was awarded first. The Scots were able to score the first run on Cameron Bleasdale's patience at the plate as he drew a walk. D'Alexander replicated Bleasdale's at bat and also drew a walk scoring the Scots second of the inning. After a pitching change for the Eagles, Kevin Tuttle was able to score a run on a fielder's choice which left runners at the corners. Adding another RBI to his season total, Carnicom singled through the left side as Bleasdale made it across homeplate bringing the score to 11-6.
Eastern tacked on one run in the sixth and another in the seventh, making to score 13-6 in favor of the Eagles. The Scots had their eyes set on a late push against their Mid-American Conference opponent as the eighth inning, Alma pulled within one of EMU. Mitch Foley reached base for the Scots in the eighth on a single to right field, kicking off the big inning. Foley advanced to second during the next at bat on a wild pitch to place himself into scoring position, looking to use his speed. Tuttle drew a walk following the wild pitch as the Scots had two runners on base with zero outs. Two batters later, pinch hitter Tony Smith also drew a walk which loaded the bases for Alma with only one out in the inning. Hawley drive in the first run of the inning with a single to left field as Foley crossed home, giving momentum towards the Scots. Ethan Krafft replicated the previous at bat with a single through the left side which also scored a run for Alma bringing the Scots within five. Dalton Hall batted a run in with his fielder's choice that again put runners on the corners for Alma as they inched closer to tying the game. The next at bat created chaos as Bleasdale hit a high fly ball into left field that was dropped by the outfielder and sent Hawley across homeplate as then the outfielder overthrew the first baseman and the ball rolled to the right field foul territory. On the throwing error, Hall reached third and then made it home during the play as Bleasdale was not far behind with his eyes set on home. Bleasdale would slide into homeplate and bring the Scots within one during the madness of the play and Alma was rejuvenated with life late in the game, trailing the Eagles 13-12.
Eastern looked for some insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to try to pull away from the Scots. The Eagles would do just that as they scored two runs in the eighth to take a three-run lead over Alma heading into the final three outs. The Scots would be held off base in the top of the ninth and ultimately come up just short in an action-packed game in Detroit.
Brendan McManus started on the bump in Comerica as nine Scots pitchers saw action against the Eagles of Eastern Michigan. The Scots recorded four strikeouts in the game with Davin Reif, Josh West, Cole Grunwald and Bleasdale each recording one.
Alma will look to use the momentum they created during their game in Comerica Park to help guide them in a weekend series against Adrian College. Alma will travel to Adrian on Friday for a single game with a 4:00 PM first pitch. The Scots will then host the Bulldogs on Saturday for Alumni Day in a doubleheader with the first game starting at 1:00 PM and the second to begin around 4:00 PM.
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Story Credit: Eli Pinter, Sports Information Intern
