Box Score 1 HOLLAND – Calvin upset nationally-ranked Hope 4-3 to gain a split of a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon. Calvin dropped the opener 19-4 in five innings against the 21st-ranked Flying Dutch but came back to win game two.
In game one, Hope erupted for 15 hits and scored 10 runs in the first inning to take early control. Calvin scored all four of its runs in the top of the fifth as freshman Jessica Brasser ripped a two-run RBI single, junior Ashley Riemersma collected an RBI single and junior Lydia Gildea belted a run-scoring single.
Game two proved to be a different story however as the Knights took a 2-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Gildea and a run-scoring single by freshman Kaley Frank. Freshman Madi Jongekrijg then cracked an RBI single in the fourth to give the Knights a 3-0 lead.
Hope (26-6 overall, 11-3 MIAA) scored a run in the fifth and tied the game in the top of the sixth on a two-run homer by Julie Sobieski. In the bottom of the sixth, Jongekrijg doubled and then scored on a clutch two-out single by senior Kelsey Pollock.
In the top of the seventh, Hope placed runners on first and second with one out but the Knights (10-19 overall, 4-10 MIAA) were able to get out of the jam with a flyout to right and a groundout to second.
Sophomore Paige Groom (5-5) went the distance for Calvin, striking out four and walking one in seven innings of work.
Frank went 3-for-3 in the win for Calvin while Jongekrijg was 2-for-3.
"Paige Groom really stepped up in game two and our team rallied behind her," said Calvin head softball coach Tim Syrek. "I was happy for our seniors because they were able to experience a rivalry win. We got some timely hitting and played a clean game on defense. Our young players really stepped up and provided a glimpse of a bright future."
Calvin will close out its season on Saturday when it hosts Olivet in a doubleheader at 1 p.m.
