NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Calvin took a pair of non-conference wins from conference foes Friday, defeating Albion 9-4 and Saint Mary's 9-1.

Friday marked a milestone for Calvin head coach Becky Hilgert as she claimed career victory No. 100 in the game one win over Albion. Now in her fifth year at the helm of the Knights, Hilgert is now 101-45 (.692) as a collegiate head coach at Calvin.

The first game saw the Knights jumping out to a quick 6-0 lead in the first inning. Sophomore Kali Yant (Vicksburg, MI / Vicksburg) hit an RBI double to left while Kennedy Geiger (Clarksville, MI / Lake Odessa) hit an infield RBI single to make it 2-0. Sophomore Brooke Timm (Niles, MI / Niles) followed with a a single to left while Kayla Groen (Frankfort, IL / Lincoln Way East) homered to left field to score another three runs for the Knights.

Albion was finally able to get on the board in the fourth inning to make it a 6-1 game heading into the fifth inning. The Knights scored two more runs in the fifth with Groen hitting a sac fly and another, scoring on an Albion error.

The Britons scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it an 8-3 game. Calvin scored one more run in the seventh with a double from Timm. Albion threatened in the seventh but Kirsten Krause (Fredonia, WI / Grafton) shut the door on the Britons to help the Knights win 9-4.

The second game had the Knights again jumping out to an 8-0 lead after three innings of play. Grace Stock (Vicksburg, MI / Vicksburg) blasted a two-run RBI double to left field to start the scoring for Calvin. Groen hit a sac fly in the first while Stock hit a sac fly in the second. Yant hit an RBI triple while Addi Warner hit an RBI single to make it 6-0 after two. Hannah Biddlecome (Portage, MI / Portage Northern) had an RBI single in the third to make it an 8-0 Calvin lead.

St. Mary's struggled to swing the bats and finally scored one run in the fourth to make it an 8-1 game. Calvin added one more run in the fourth and led 9-1. Bri Leegwater (Zeeland, MI / Holland Christian) pitched a fantastic game by only allowing three hits and getting three strikeouts including a scoreless fifth to secure the run-rule win for Calvin.

COACHES COMMENTS: "I am really happy how we scored in the first inning of both games," said Head Coach Becky Hilgert. "We continue to be aggressive at the plate and on the bases and as result we are putting pressure on our opponents early. Scoring first always allows the defense to relax and gives our pitchers a boost. I thought our pitching staff was very efficient again and our defense made great plays to eliminate any rally by our opponents. I was really pleased with our energy and effort today."

COMMENTS ON WIN # 100 & WIN # 101: "Reaching 100 career wins is not possible without a total team effort from our players, team managers, our great athletic department support staff and especially my assistant coaches. It takes a village to run a successful collegiate program, so I am grateful to all of the people who have supported me on this journey. This is a nice milestone for our program."

NEXT UP: Calvin will host Anderson on Monday in a non-conference doubleheader at 3 p.m. at the Gainey Athletic Complex.