By Mark DeHaan

The Calvin baseball team returned to the field in Michigan on Friday afternoon after a week of games in Florida, hosting the Hope Flying Dutchmen at Cornerstone's turf De Witt Field.

The Knights were coming off consecutive games of 18 runs and 15 runs, but Calvin's offense went quiet against the Flying Dutchmen, and the Knights suffered a pair of one-loss runs at 5-4 and 3-2. 

In game one, Hope got onto the board first with single runs in the second and third innings.

The Knights got two back in the bottom of the fifth as a groundout by sophomore Travis Kraai (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) and a bunt by junior Grant VanPutten (Holland/Holland Christian HS) each brought in a run to knot the game at 2-2.

The Flying Dutch responded with three in the top of the sixth for a 5-2 advantage. Single runs by the Knights in the sixth and seventh brought them within one, but Calvin left a runner standing on third with a pop-out to end the game, and Calvin dropped game one 5-4.

VanPutten was 3-for-4 in game one with one run scored and one RBI. Junior Peter Cupery (Holland/Holland Christian HS) took the loss, pitching 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out five.

In game two, both offenses struggled against the starting pitching to begin the game as the contest was scoreless through four full innings.

Consecutive doubles by sophomore Jordan VanderWall (Wyoming/South Christian HS) and then VanPutten allowed Calvin to score a run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 1-0 advantage.

Again, it was a three run inning in the top of the sixth, allowed by a Calvin error, that gave Hope the lead which it held for good. Three straight singles with two outs brought one run in for the Flying Dutchmen. An error and two walks then plated two more runs, and Hope took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth.

The Knights scored one run in the bottom of the sixth, but were held scoreless in the seventh, and Calvin suffered its second one-run loss of the afternoon.

Van Putten was 2-for-3 in the second game with another RBI. Senior Grant VanderWall (Wyoming/South Christian HS) pitched 5.2 innings for Calvin, striking out six and allowing three runs, just one earned, as he took the loss.

The Knights drop to 7-6 overall and 2-3 in conference with the pair of losses, while Hope improves to 6-7 overall and 3-1 in league play.

The rivals will meet again tomorrow at Cornerstone's De Witt Field, with the doubleheader starting at noon.