MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – The Alma College baseball team traveled back to the central time zone for their final non-conference weekend of the season, for a four-game series with the Cornell College Rams. The Friday doubleheader saw a split as Cornell took game one, 5-4 and the Scots took game two, 11-10.
After the long bus ride on Thursday evening, Alma hit the field on Friday afternoon looking to rebound from the six games in Indiana and get back in the win column. After a couple scoreless innings, Alma took the first lead of the game as Cameron Bleasdale connected on a pitch to send it over the center field wall for a solo home run, putting Alma up 1-0. Alma added some insurance to their lead in the sixth beginning with a Kyler Warren double to right center. Warren then advanced to third on a fly out before scoring at home on a wild pitch, putting Alma up 2-0.
The Rams offense woke up in the bottom of the sixth, cutting the Alma lead in half headlining into the seventh. Cole Grunwald would lead off for the Scots in the top of the seventh with a single to left field. A sacrifice bunt and a fly out advanced Grunwald to third, as Brant Goodpaster stepped up to the plate. Goodpaster connected for a single into left field, scoring Grunwald and giving Alma another two run cushion.
The Scots lead would diminish in the bottom of the inning and a two-run home run tied the game at three's heading into the eighth. Cornell took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the eighth scoring a single run, as Alma headed into the ninth, trailing 4-3.
Alma, needing one run, in the ninth inning got their first bae runner as Mitch Foley singled to center field. Bleasdale then took a pitch to the body and was awarded first. With runners on first and second, Goodpaster singled to second base, loading the bases for Alma with one out. A sacrifice fly from Warren scored the tying run, though the Scots would be held in check with only the solo run for the inning.
Cornell used some singles in the bottom of the ninth to put runners into scoring position and walk off of the Scots to end game one, 5-4.
Tyler Johnson returned to the mound for seven innings with seven strikeouts, followed by Evan Litwiller going two-thirds of an inning and Chase Balhoff. Both Litwiller and Balhoff registered one strikeout.
Loading up for game two under the lights in Iowa, Alma looked to snap their three-game losing skid and get settles in on day one. Cornell made the settling in process and little more uncomfortable as the Rams took the first lead in the first inning, 1-0. Alma responded with four runs in the second, starting off with Tony Smith reaching first with a single. Charlie Chmielewski also singling. Stephen McGlade then loaded the bases as he reached first on an error with one out. Ryan Kracht Helped bring in the first runs of the game as he reached first on an error as well, scoring Smith and Chmielewski. Following a Luke Lindsay walk, Bleasdale singled to center field, collecting two RBIs as McGlade and Kracht. Scored, putting Alma on top 4-1.
The Rams brought themselves back within one as they tallied two unanswered run is the third, bringing the score to 4-3. The Scots added some run cushion in the fifth as Goodpaster singled to right field. Kyler Warren then recorded his third triple of the year as he poked one out to right center, scoring Goodpaster and putting Alma up 5-3.
The Rams would not stay away though as they added another additional solo run in the fifth, reaching within one. Cornell would then take their second lead of the game in the sixth with three runs, putting the Scots down two heading into the seventh.
Alma's offense exploded in the top of the seventh, driving in six runs to regain the lead. The Scots first base runners of the inning were Goodpaster and Warren who both reached on errors. Alexander Kavalick then didn't give the Rams a chance to field the next ball as he took it over the right field wall for a three-run bomb, regaining the lead for the Scots. Giuseppe Sapienza then took first base after a walk and advanced to third on an error during the next at bat as Chmielewski reached first. The Scots added their ninth run of the game following a balk on Cornell, putting Alma up two. Kracht scored the final two Alma runs of the inning on a deep fly ball over the left center fence, for a two-run home run for his third of the season. Alma finished the seventh inning leading 11-7 over Cornell.
The Rams added two runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull within two and a single run in the ninth to pull within one, but the comeback bid would be held off by the Scots as Alma would pick up a day one split in Iowa.
Cade Sutherland got the nod for game two starting on the mound. Sutherland went for three innings, recording two strikeouts. Alex Hardacre came in for one and a third with two Ks as well. Josh West saw action for one and a third as well, collecting three strikeouts as Ken Fistler finished off the remaining three and a third innings with two strikeouts.
Alma will return to the Ash Park diamond, tomorrow, Saturday March 22nd, for another doubleheader beginning at 12:00 PM CST.
