NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – The Calvin softball team improved to 18-5 on the year with a pair of wins at Manchester on Tuesday afternoon. The Knights recorded their third sweep of the season with 9-0 and 5-1 victories over Manchester. Manchester falls to 12-16 on the year.

"I am very happy with the effort we put forth today," said Calvin head coach Becky Hilgert. "We came ready to play and made needed adjustments throughout both games against a quality opponent. Offensively, we kept attacking and outside of one inning, we played solid defensively."

The Knights lit up the scoreboard in the third inning. Freshman Grace Stock (Vicksburg, Mich./Vicksburg) had a single through the middle of the infield that scored junior Maddie DeGroot (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian). Senior Kaley Frank Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg) doubled to the gap in left-center that scored Stock and junior Anna Gernant (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley).

In the fourth inning, senior Jessica Brasser (Rockford, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) smacked a double into the gap in right-center that scored junior Rachel Borden (Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg) and junior Kristen Newman (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea).

The Knights added another run off the bat of sophomore Kayla Groen (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) in the fifth inning. Groen doubled through the middle of the infield to cross sophomore Bri Noorman (Jenison, Mich./Covenant Christian across home plate.

The Maroon and Gold added three more runs in the seventh inning. After a single from Kayla Groen, Calvin took advantage of a Manchester error to score sophomore Jordan VanEerden (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) and sophomore Mady Ellinger (Troy, Mich./Athens). Freshman Camryn Young (New Haven, Mich./Anchor Bay) recorded her first RBI at Calvin with a single through the middle of the infield that scored Kayla Groen.

Anna Gernant earned her sixth victory of the year in the circle and finished with 10 strikeouts. She also only allowed two hits.

15 Calvin players got into the first game.

The Knights struck early in game two. In the second inning, Kristen Newman smashed a single to score Kayla Groen.

The Maroon and Gold broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning.

Freshman Kennedy Geiger (Clarksville, Mich./Lake Odessa) doubled into the gap in right center to score Kristen Newman and Kayla Groen.

Maddie DeGroot singled to the shortstop and then she sailed the ball past first base to score Kennedy Geiger.

The Calvin scoring ended with a single by Grace Stock through the middle of the infield to score Maddie DeGroot.

The Spartans would not surrender and scored their lone run in the fifth inning. The Calvin defense stood tall and got out of a bases-loaded jam.

Freshman Ellie Borst improved to 9-2 on the year with the victory in the circle.

Kayla Groen led all players with three hits.

Calvin returns to the tight MIAA race on Thursday against the Hornets of Kalamazoo.