ADRIAN, Mich. - At the Adrian College Softball Field, the Bulldogs began the closing portion of their 2022 home schedule, dropping a pair of contests to Alma College.
 
Game One: Adrian 1, Alma 9 (6 Innings)

The top of the Scots line-up did a lot of damage against the local's pitchers in the first of Friday afternoon's doubleheader. In fact, the visitors first four batters combined for seven hits, five RBIs and five of Alma's nine total runs.

Two of those runs came in the top half of the first inning to open the scoring for the Scots, then in subsequent half-inning, the black and gold got one back off the bat of Katie Connolly, who drove her team-leading 14th double of the season to plate Maggie Leveille and cut the deficit in half.

From that point, however, Alma starter Haley Ullrich went to work, holding the home side hitless over the next four innings, followed by a one-hit sixth frame to seal the deal for the Scots.

Lauren McCulligh made up two of the Bulldogs' three hits in game one, while Natalie Mathers and Macee Schang each retired two batters on the strikes in the circle for Adrian.
 
Game Two: Adrian 5, Alma 8

The 'Dogs got off to solid start to game two, but eight runs scattered over the first five innings by Alma ultimately proved to be too much in Adrian's attempt to garner a split.

Hailey DeChalk led of the ballgame with a single to left field, and after advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt, the junior was sent home on an RBI-single by McCulligh. Then, on the next at-bat, Connolly lifted a high fly-ball to deep right field that was misplayed by the Scots' position-player, allowing McCulligh to score easily from first base.

Adrian's 2-0 lead did not last long, nevertheless, as the opposition quickly knotted things up in the bottom of the frame, and proceeded to expand their advantage to 5-2 by the end of the third inning.

In the fourth frame, the black and gold pulled to within one run of Alma's lead, utilizing an RBI-ground out by Keira Stampfly, and an infield miscue to make it a 5-4 score.

The visitors, though went on to tack an additional three runs over their next two plate appearances, and despite a late threat by the Bulldogs in the seventh, the Scots kept their composure to secure the sweep.

Offensively for Adrian, DeChalk finished the second game with a team-high three hits, helping her to a series team-best 0.500 batting average.
 
The black and gold wrap up their home schedule for 2022 on Saturday afternoon against Trine University. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. from the Adrian College Softball Field.