Calvin swept a non-conference doubleheader from visiting Manchester University Spartans Tuesday afternoon at the Gainey Athletic Complex, winning game one 7-2 and game two 22-3 in five innings.

Calvin improves to 11-5 with the doubleheader sweep and has now won eight of its last nine games.

GAME ONE
Calvin 7, Manchester 2

Manchester (6-12) scored the opening run in the top of the first inning but Calvin answered right back with a three-run homer to left by senior Addi Warner (South Bend, Ind./Clay HS) that also plated junior Sidney Duong (Kalamazoo, MI/Kalamazoo Christian HS) and senior Hannah Biddlecome (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern HS) who led off the game with singles.

Calvin added three more in the top of the second as freshman Lily Gaastra (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) rapped an RBI single to left and junior Kali Yant (Vicksburg, Mich./Vicksburg HS) followed with a two-run RBI single of her own – also to left field.

Yant singled in another run in the fourth and the Knights cruised the rest of the way for the win.

Freshman Zoe Hazelhoff (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian HS) went the distance to pick up her sixth win of the year against just one defeat. Hazelhoff scattered seven hits and stranded 11 Manchester baserunners.

Gaastra, Biddlecome, Yant and Duong had two hits apiece with Biddlecome scoring three runs.

GAME TWO
Calvin 22, Manchester 3

Calvin exploded for 22 runs on 23 hits in gaining the five-inning run-rule victory.

Calvin scored three runs in the first, three in the second, nine in the third and seven in the fourth to claim the win.

Kali Yant had a huge game with three triples as she went 4-for-4 with six runs batted in and three runs scored. Lily Gaastra and freshman Kennedi Pepin (Bourbannais, Il./Bourbannais HS) also had triples with Pepin also betting a double.

Biddlecome went 4-for-5 with three RBI's, three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Pepin was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI. Sophomore Ali Schultz (Wyoming, Mich./Grandville HS) went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Freshman Anna Dobberstein (Dowogiac, Mich./Dowogiac HS) also had a double.

Junior Kirsten Krause (Fredonia, Wisc./Grafton HS) went all five innings for Calvin to pick up the win, upping her season record to 5-3 with two strikeouts and one walk.  

COACHES COMMENT: "Overall happy with our results today," said Calvin head softball coach Becky Hilgert. "I think in game one after we took the early lead, we played sluggish at times and let the cold weather become a factor when we needed to be a bit tougher. In game two, we were more oursvles with great energy from the bench and we stayed aggressive both offensively and defensively. We now have a few days to clean up a few things before we start conference play."

NEXT UP: Calvin will open its MIAA schedule on Saturday when it travels to Saint Mary's for a doubleheader slated to start at 1 p.m. in South Bend, Indiana.