ADRIAN/ALMA, Mich. – The Alma College baseball team played their three-game weekend series against Adrian College on Friday and Saturday, April 28/29th. The Scots played game one in Adrian but the game was cut short due to weather on Friday night, resulting in the final two and a half innings being played Saturday morning in Alma before the doubleheader that was supposed to take place on Saturday. The Scots won game one 11-7, game two 9-1, and game three 13-4 for a series sweep over the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs scored the first run of the game in the second to take an early 1-0 lead. The Scots were held scoreless until the sixth, where they were able to regain the lead. Wyatt Nyswaner led off the sixth inning with a doble to left field. Preston Schroyer came in as a pinch runner for Nyswaner before Kyler Warren stepped up to the plate. Warren then singled which allowed for Schroyer to score but Warren would reach second on the throw and then third after an error putting himself 90 feet away from taking the lead. Cameron Bleasdale would send Warren home on a sacrifice fly out to right field which gave Alma a 2-1 lead.

Adrian tied the game on the bottom of the sixth as Alma looked to retake it in the seventh. Mitch Foley led off the seventh with a walk. Avery Carnicom advanced Foley to third as he reached first on an error, putting Foley in scoring position. Cole Grunwald sent Foley home with a single, which gave Alma a 3-2 lead before rain would half the game for the night and play would resume in the morning in Alma.

In the morning, as play picked up in the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs scored four runs with the bases loaded and zero outs to take a late game lead in the continuation. In the eighth however, Alma was not ready to let the game slip away as the bases were loaded as Carnicom stepped up to the plate. Doing what he does best, Carniom sent a ball over the left center wall for a grand slam to tilt the lead in favor of the Scots once again. Grunwald doubled following the grand slam and Warren was able to send him home before the end of the inning with a single to left field, giving Alma an 8-7 lead. In the ninth, the Scots tacked on three more runs to finish game one out with an 11-7 series opening win. Cam Jones started on the mound for the Scots and recorded four of the seven strikeouts for Alma.

In game two, the Scots jumped out to an early lead as Carnicom doubled to center field and Grunwald sent him home with a double of his own to put Alma on the board. During the next at bat, Warren singled to right center and Grunwald scored the second run of the game. Warren was then sent home on a Padyn Kesselring single to right field as the Scots took a 3-0 lead in the first. The Bulldogs would score their only run of the game on the third to cut into the lead, but Alma was not finished. The Scots increased their lead in the third as Dalton D'Alexander hit a sacrifice fly to left field sending Bleasdale home who bunted to get on base. In the seventh, the Scots piled on more runs starting with a double by Carniciom, putting Alma in scoring position. Grunwald singled to left field and Carnicom rounded third to cross home. Several batters later after consecutive HBP's Ethan Krafft singled to right field which scored Warren and Grunwald. The Scots added one more run in the seventh as D'Alexander reached first on a fielder's choice and Bleasdale raced home putting Alma on top 9-1. In the eighth, Carnicom led the Scots off with a triple to left center and was sent home thanks to a sacrifice fly by Warren giving Alma their ninth run and the final score. Tyler Johnson started on the mound for Alma in game two and recorded five strikeouts in seven innings of work. 

In the final game of the day, Alma would take an early lead as Stepehn McGlade homered to left center, putting the first run of the game on the board in the second inning. Alma added on in the third as Foley drew a walk and Tuttle singled to left center sending Foley to third. Carnciom then hit a sacrifice fly to center field as Foley tagged up and made it home. In the next at bat, Warren doubled to left center sending Tuttle home from first, tallying another run for Alma. Stephen McGlade added another RBI as he reached first on an error and Warren made it home putting Alma up 4-0. The Scots added another run in the third as Jacob Cornman singled to right field but advanced to third on an error by the filed =er which scored McGlade for a 5-0 lead.

The Bulldogs scored their first of the game in the sixth, before Alma added another in the bottom of the inning. Tuttle reached first on a fielder's choice as Foley was thrown out at second and Mac Hawley crossed homeplate keeping the five-run lead. Adrian again added an additional run in the seventh but Alma responded in the bottom of the inning. After a Warren walk and a McGlade single advancing Warren to third, putting runners on the corners, Warren scored on a wild pitch which put Alma back up five. Krafft would single up the middle which scored McGalde who reached second on the wild pitch giving Alma an 8-2 lead. Krafft reached second on a wild pitch leading to Hawley and Bleasdale each drawing a walk to load the bases. Foley would tally two RBI on a single to left field that scored Hawley and Krafft giving Alma their tenth run of the game. Adrian batted in two runs in the top of the eighth but not enough to put pressure on the Scots. Alma wasn't finished scoring as the eighth saw three more runs. Carnciom led the inning off with a double to left center before Warren drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Cornman would load the bases on a single up the middle as Krafft stepped up to the plate. Krafft reached first on a fielder's choice allowing for Carnicom to score and leaving runners on the corners. Hawley then singled with the next at bat and reached third on an error in the outfield which sent Krafft and Warren across home giving Alma a 13-4 lead, ultimately the final score.

Grunwald started the final game on the mound and pitched for seven innings and recorded a strikeout with only one earned run.

Alma will now have Sunday off before returning to action against Calvin University on Monday, May 1st. Alma will travel to Grand Rapids for a 4:00 PM first pitch in the series finale with the Knights.

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Story Credit: Eli Pinter, Sports Information Intern