ANDERSON, Ind. – Returning to the field after opening the series the day prior, the Alma College baseball team looked towards a breezy Saturday, February 21st, for a doubleheader with the Anderson University Ravens. The Scots won the opening game of the day in a blowout, 18-1, followed by tying the second game 4-4 in 11 innings due to darkness.
The scoring didn't kick off until the second inning of game one when the Scots plated six for the games first runs. Following two walks to Cameron Bleasdale and Braylon Ryan, Brady Vannest flew out to right field, allowing for Bleasdale to tag up and score for the first run of the game. Kaden Warren then drew a walk followed by Justin Diaz drawing a walk as well to load the bases. Giuseppe Sapienza doubled to right center to score two runs and leave two on the bases. Following an error that allowed Alexander Kavalick to reach first, jack McIntosh singled through the right side for two more runs to score. Batting for the second time in the inning, Bleasdale then singled towards second, scoring Kavalick for the Scots six-run inning.
Alma picked right up where they left off in the third as Vannest doubled down the right field line, followed by a Kaden Warren single. Charlie Chmielewski picked up the first RBI of the inning with a single to right field, scoring Vannest. Just a couple batters later, Kavalick reached first on an error that ultimately scored Warren and Chmielewski for two more Scots runs. During the next at bat, McIntosh singled to center and advanced to second on the throw, allowing for Sapienza to score. The final run of the game came on a sacrifice fly out from Bleasdale to score Kavalick and put the Scots up 11.
The next runs for the visitors came in the sixth off a double from Sapienza, scoring Vannest and Warren who singled and doubled to put themselves on base prior. Alma headed into the seventh up 13-0. Alma added another insurance run in the seventh on a single from Luke Lindsay, scoring McIntosh. Three more runs came in the eighth as Sapienza led off with a triple and Easton Tolson scored him on an RBI ground out. Lindsay added another RBI with a single up the middle, scoring McIntosh, followed by Preston Schroyer scoring on a passed ball for the Scots 17th run of the game.
Anderson broke the ice in the bottom of the eighth with a home run to right field, scoring their first and only run of the game. Alma scored their final run of the game on a Diaz double to right center, scoring Chmielewski who reached on a fielders choice.
Josh Soneral picked up his second win if the season after dealing for five innings and striking out four. Tommy Ches and Roman Forcia saw action on the bump as well as Forcia picked up his first collegiate strikeouts with two.
After a brief pause, both teams returned to the field for the nightcap. Anderson struck first this time with a run in the bottom of the first, putting Alma in an early manageable deficit. Alma responded with runs in the third as Charlie Martyn led the inning off with a double. Martyn advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on a Brant Goodpaster double down the right field line. Following a Sapienza walk, Kavalick singled through the left side, scoring Goodpaster to take the first Scots lead of the game. Bleasdale added another run with a single to left field, scoring Sapienza to put the Scots up two, 3-1.
Anderson tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a handful of singles and base runners. Both teams found solid defense for the next five innings as the games next runs did not come until the ninth. Following back-to-back hit by pitches, Goodpaster singled through the left side to score Cade Sutherland, putting Alma up late in the ninth. The Ravens fought back on offense though with a double following a walk to tie the game and send the contest into extra's.
Both teams were held off the board in the tenth and the game was ultimately called a tie in non-conference action due to darkness.
Seeing action on the mound for the Scots was Tyler Sparks, who started, going five innings for five strikeouts. Evan Litwiller, Josh West and Ryan Koob all saw relief action and totaled six strikeouts between the three.
Alma will now have a week before heading south to play their spring break games, starting with a neutral match against the Mississippi University for Women on Monday, March 2nd. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM Ct at Millsaps College's Twenty Field.
