Softball team drops both games of doubleheader at Alma

ALMA, Mich. – The Olivet College softball team dropped both games of Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader to Alma College today at Scots Park in Alma. The Scots won by scores of 5-4 and 9-1.

THE BASICS
Final Scores: Alma 5, Olivet 4; Alma 9, Olivet 1
Location: Scots Park; Alma, Mich.
Records: Alma 14-4 overall, 4-0 MIAA; Olivet 9-15 overall, 0-4 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)

• Alma took a 1-0 lead with a single tally in the bottom half of the first inning.
• Olivet used a two-out rally to take a 3-1 lead in the third inning. Freshman Taylor Schellenberger hit a single and senior Taylor Smith was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Freshman Kara Gjeltema cleared the bases with a three-run home run over the fence in center field.
• The Scots came back with a run in the home half of the third to cut their deficit down to one at 3-2.
• The score stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when Alma took advantage of three Comet errors to plate three unearned runs to take the lead back 5-3.
• Olivet did not go down quietly in the seventh, as it plated one run and left the tying run stranded on base.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet recorded five hits in the game and four different players scored a run.
• The lone extra base hit was the aforementioned home run by Gjeltema.
• Freshman Bekah VanDam started in the circle and gave up two earned runs on six hits in the first three and two-thirds innings.
• Freshman Gracie Boyle pitched the final two and one-third innings in relief. She allowed three unearned runs on three hits to be tagged with the loss.

FOR THE SCOTS

• Alma had nine total hits, all singles.
• Chelsea Schweiger went 3-for-4, while Mary Brooks was 2-for-3.
• Morgan Stratton earned the pitching win after surrendering four runs (three earned) on five hits, while striking out eight in the complete game performance.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)

• The Scots pushed across a pair of unearned runs and left the bases loaded in the second inning.
• Olivet got one run back in the third. Sophomore Hannah Hoover and freshman Payton Watson had back-to-back singles to start the inning. Hoover stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly off Smith's bat.
• Alma scored two runs in the fourth, one in the sixth and four in the seventh.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet finished the game with six hits.
• Watson had two hits in four at-bats. Four others had one hit apiece.
• Senior Carrie Chamberlain was charged with the pitching loss after yielding nine runs (two earned) on 11 hits in six innings. Boyle got the final three outs on just seven pitches.

FOR THE SCOTS

• Alma notched 12 hits, including 11 singles.
• Schweiger and Danielle Service each had three.
• Katie McClure helped her own cause at the plate with a triple and three RBI.
• Kelsey Spencer scored two runs and drove in two runs.
• McClure was the winning pitcher. She threw all seven innings, allowed the one run on six hits and struck out seven.

UP NEXT

• Olivet hosts Trine (Ind.) University tomorrow in a rescheduled doubleheader, starting at 1 p.m.