Calvin took care of business on Wednesday afternoon, taking both ends of a doubleheader from Albion, winning game one 8-0 in five innings and game two 12-3 in six innings.

The Knights are now 21-11 overall and have hit the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 2005 season. More importantly Calvin is 9-5 in league play and can clinch a spot in the upcoming MIAA tournament with a win in either of its two games on Saturday against rival Hope. 

At 11-5 in league play, Hope has clinched a spot in the MIAA Tournament. Calvin could still tie the Flying Dutch for second place in the MIAA but would need to take both games on Saturday. 

Trine and Hope have clinched two of the four spots for the MIAA Tournament next week while the Knights are in a fight for one of the two remaining spots along with Olivet and Alma.

In its doubleheader sweep of Albion Wednesday afternoon, Calvin combined for 24 hits and two home runs in the pair of games.

In game one, Calvin put up a run in the second, six in the third and one more in the fifth to close out the mercy-rule win.

Sophomore Ashley Riemersma (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) doubled in a run in the second and then drove home two more in the third with a two-run RBI single. Freshman Cassidy Vlot (Chowchilla, CA/Chowchilla HS) also belted a two-run homer in the six-run surge.

In the fifth, junior Christie VanderMeer (Grandville/Grandville HS) reached base on a one-out single, stole second and then scored on an infield error to end the game.

Vlot picked up the win to improve to 9-4 on the year as she struck out two and allowed just two hits while gaining her third collegiate shutout in the process.

Junior Kelsey Pollock (Greenville/Belding HS), Vlot, senior Lina Avila (Lakewood, CA/Valley Christian HS) and Riemersma all had two hits apiece.

In game two, Calvin had to battle from behind as the Britons (2-23 overall, 1-13 MIAA) scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the first to build a 3-0 lead.

Calvin pecked away with a solo home run by Avila in the third inning - her eighth of the year.  The Knights then exploded for seven runs in the top of the fifth inning and added four more in the sixth to claim the mercy-rule win.

Calvin batted around in the fifth inning with sophomore Lydia Gildea (Gobles/Gobles HS) driving in a pair of runs with a bases-loaded single.

In the sixth, junior Merin Cok (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) belted a two-run RBI double. She also made a pair of web gems on defense, snaring a shot up the middle in the second that robbed an Albion batter of a hit and then snagging an over-the-shoulder catch in foul territory in the fifth.

Senior Caitlin Callow (Muskegon/Muskegon Catholic Central HS) picked up the win for Calvin to up her season record to 12-6.

Senior Ashley Jakus (Muskegon/Muskegon Reeths-Puffer HS) had a pair of hits and a pair of stolen bases in the victory while Avila, Gildea and Riemersma all had two hits apiece.

Saturday's doubleheader with Hope is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Parking for Saturday's doubleheader will be at a premium because of a busy schedule of high school and college sports action at the Gainey Athletic Complex. Fans attending the Calvin-Hope softball doubleheader are asked to park either in the Prince Conference Center located west of the Gainey Athletic Complex or in the Church of the Servant Parking Lot located off Burton Street - just south of the Calvin softball field.

Gainey Athletic Complex Map