HOLLAND, Mich. - Calvin opened its 2018 MIAA campaign with a doubleheader split at rival Hope. On a cold and windy afternoon at Boeve Stadium, Hope took the opener 1-0 but the Knights came back to take game two 3-1.

 

In the game two win, Calvin received a strong start from junior Clay Francisco (Delton, Mich./Thornapple Kellogg HS) who tossed six shutout innings and picked up the victory. Francisco (1-2) struck out four batters and scattered four hits without a walk.

 

Calvin (3-9 overall, 1-1 MIAA) took a 1-0 lead on a double-steal between junior Miles Kuperus (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) and sophomore Logan Marshall (Plymouth, Mich./Salem HS) with Kuperus stealing second Marshall darting home from third to steal home in the top of the second inning.

 

In the top of the fifth, Calvin added two important insurance runs as senior Nate DeZwaan (Hamilton, Mich./Holland Christian HS) delivered a bases-loaded double that plated Kuperus and sophomore Quinn Hyndiuk (Elm Grove, Wisc./Brookfield East HS). 

Sophomore Trevor VanDuyn (Jenison, Mich./Jenison HS) came on to pitch the final three innings and allowed just one run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth. VanDuyn kept the Flying Dutchmen at bay the rest of the way however to notch his first save of the season and the seventh of his collegiate career.

 

Calvin collected 10 hits in the win led by freshman Ricky Padilla (Poway, Ca./Poway HS) who went 3-for-5 at the plate. Hyndiuk and Marshall had two hits apiece with Marshall also collecting a double in the win.

 

Game one featured a pitcher's duel between Calvin junior Jonathan Keane (Brookfield, Wisc./Brookfield Central HS) and Hope senior Connor Grimes. Keane went six innings and allowed only four hits but the only run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth when Hope's Codey Houts connected on a solo home run. 

 

Grimes gave up just three hits in 5.2 innings of work with CJ Otteman coming on for Hope over the final 1.1 innings to pick up the save.

 

Calvin's best scoring chance came in the sixth when the Knights loaded the bases with two outs but stranded all three runners.

 

The two teams will face each other in a doubleheader at Calvin on Tuesday at 2 p.m.