ADRIAN, Mich.--The Adrian College baseball team made its 2019 home debut on Saturday when the Bulldogs swept Alma College, 8-5 and 10-2, to begin their 10-time defending Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association title defense.

THE BASICS
= Final Scorelines: Game 1--Adrian 8-13-0, Alma 5-8-1; Game 2--Adrian 10-12-0, Alma 2-3-1

= Location: Nicolay Field, Adrian, Mich.; Weather: Sunny, 45 degrees, Wind N 11 mph

= Records: Adrian Bulldogs 9-2 overall (2-0 MIAA); Alma Scots 4-10- overall (0-2 MIAA)

= National Rankings: Adrian is No. 12 by American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (239 points) and No. 18 by the D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (165) poll

TOP 'DAWGS
= Sophomore Thomas Miller was 4-for-8 with two runs scored and two runs batted in on the day.

= Senior Korey Mazur went 3-for-7 with three RBI in the two games.

= Junior Gunner Rainey was 4-for-8 on the day, accounting for three runs scored and three RBI.

= Classmate Pierce Banks (W, 3-0) scattered five earned runs, seven hits and four walks in six innings to get the Game 1 victory. He also had six strikeouts.

= Junior Spencer Ford followed Banks with a scoreless seventh inning to get the save.

= No. 9 batter senior Jordan Torrento was 3-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored.

= Sophomore Jordan Williams (W, 3-0) picked up the win in Game 2 after working around seven walks and two runs with four strikeouts 5-2/3 innings.

= Classmate Brandon Cooper also finished with three hits on the afternoon.

THE OPPOSITION
= Jaret Koin went 3-for-3, including a home run and triple, and three runs scored in Game 1.

= Jordan Anstandig and Zach Schirmer had two hits apiece in the opener.     

HOW IT HAPPENED, Game 1
= The Bulldogs struck quickly with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Rainey connected on a two-run double to right field and senior Dugan Darnell followed with a sacrifice fly to right.

= Koin got Alma a run back in the top of the second with a solo home run over the left field wall.

= But the Bulldogs answered with two runs in the bottom half on RBI singles by Torrento to left center and Miller to right to make it 5-1.

= Adrian padded the advantage to 7-1 in the third when Torrento hit a two-run single to right center field.

= In the top of the fourth, Joshua Robinson hit a two-run double to right field to get the Scots within 7-3.

= In the next frame, Pete Carravallah reached on a fielder's choice to bring home another run, 7-4.

= Cooper doubled the lead to 8-4 with a run-scoring double to center in the fifth.

= Logan Huff accounted for the final run and 8-5 margin when he had a sacrifice fly to center in the sixth. 

HOW IT HAPPENED, Game 2
= Like Game 1, Adrian got off to a quick start in the nightcap. Darnell had a RBI-single to right field and junior Brady Wood crossed home plate on a wild pitch in the first inning.

= In the second, the Bulldogs tacked on six insurance runs for an 8-0 cushion. Mazur capped the crooked number with a two-run single to the gap in left-center field.

= Carravallah got the Scots on the scoreboard in the third when he singled home Robinson.

= In the fourth, Mazur upped the lead to 9-1 after he doubled off the wall in right-center to plate Rainey.

= Senior Zack Zschering produced Adrian's final run on a RBI-single.

= With a run already in on a Huff homer and the bases loaded with two outs, the Scots were threatening to cut into the 10-2 deficit. But No. 1 hitter Anstandig bounced a grounder back to junior reliever Brandon Schulze who threw him out at first base to prevent further damage. Schulze threw 1-1/3 scoreless innings with one strikeout while inheriting three baserunners.

= Alma had eight runners left on base and was outhit 12-3. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
= Adrian improves to 106-82 all-time against Alma, including 59-45 at home.

= Adrian improves to 16-10 in home openers under Coach Craig Rainey--winning 13 its past 14 such encounters. 

= Banks and Williams join freshman teammate Max Denny for the MIAA lead with three wins apiece.

= Gunner Rainey lists first in the MIAA with 17 RBI while Alma's Huff is second with 14. Huff also shares the conference' home run lead with two.

=Dylan Dzendzel, Alma's Game 2 starter, had three strikeouts to increase his conference lead to 29. Williams is tied for third with 20.  

UP NEXT
= These same two teams meet here again in Adrian at 1 p.m. Sunday. The games were supposed to take place in Alma, but due to unplayable conditions at the Scots' Klenk Field the site has shifted to Adrian College.