GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  – The Calvin softball team swept the visiting Cornerstone Golden Eagles on Monday afternoon. The Knights improved to 19-13 on the season with a pair of victories over the 11-20 Golden Eagles. Calvin won the first game 9-2 and finished the day with a 5-1 victory. The Knights have now won six of their last seven games.

"We had really good pitching today," said Calvin head coach Kevin Vande Streek. "Kayla, Paige, unfortunately for Paige we didn't get some runs for her and Anna all did a great job today. We had a couple of big two-out hits in both games and we had a couple of seniors really hitting the ball well."

Senior Lydia Gildea (Gobles/Gobles HS) started the scoring for Calvin in the third inning of game one. Gildea singled to center field to score freshman Rachel Borden (Edwardsburg/Edwardsburg HS). Sophomore Jessica Brasser (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) doubled to center field to score freshman Anna Gernant and Lydia Gildea to give Calvin a 3-0 lead.

Cornerstone got a run back in the fourth inning when sophomore Jessica Wright singled to left field to score freshman Rachel Younts.

The Knights scored two more runs in the fourth inning, Gildea recorded two RBI when she singled to right field, scoring freshman Maddie DeGroot (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) and senior Caitlin Bell (Oak Brook, Il./Oak Park River Forest).

Senior Harlie Sherman cut into the lead to a homerun over the center-field fence.

Calvin pushed the game out of reach with four runs in the sixth inning. Senior Ashley Riemersma (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) would score Caitlin Bell on a single down the left-field line. Anna Gernant (West Des Moines, Ia./Valley HS) scored Rachel Borden and Ashley Riemersma on a single down the left-field line. Gernant scored on a single by Jessica Brasser.

Sophomore Makela Chapman (Lowell/Lowell HS) improved to 4-2 in the circle with the complete-game victory. Chapman struck out six in the win and held Cornerstone to seven hits.

Senior Rachel Nelson had a strong outing in the circle for Cornerstone in the loss, recording a strikeout in the first three innings. Sophomore Whitney Denton came in during the fourth inning.

Jessica Brasser and Rachel Borden had a game-high three hits in game one. Borden recorded her first-ever extra-base hit with a double in game one.

The scoring in game two started in the third inning with Calvin striking first. Ashley Riemersma doubled to left center to score Maddie DeGroot from second base.

The Golden Eagles tied the game in the fifth inning with a single to left field by junior Ciara Wilke that scored senior Rachel Bode.

Calvin responded with a three-run fifth inning. Ashley Riemersma blasted a two-run shot over the left-field fence, scoring Maddie DeGroot to give Calvin a 3-1 lead. Jessica Brasser scored Lydia Gildea on a single up the middle.

The Knights added another run to the scoreboard in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Ashley Riemersma, scoring Maddie DeGroot.

The Calvin pitching staff held the Golden Eagles to four hits in game two. Junior Paige Groom (Potterville/Potterville HS) started the game and recorded two strikeouts. Anna Gernant recorded her 10th victory of the year and finished with five strikeouts.

Sophomore Brooke Leonard had a solid outing for Cornerstone, finishing with three strikeouts in the start.

Maddie DeGroot had a game-high three hits and three runs. Ashley Riemersma had a season-high four RBI.

Calvin returns to MIAA play on Wednesday when the Knights host the Flying Dutch for the final home games of the year.