KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Calvin softball team stretched its win streak to eight games and clinched a spot in the upcoming MIAA Tournament next week with a key conference doubleheader sweep of Kalamazoo Friday afternoon.

Kalamazoo (19-13 overall, 6-8 MIAA) entered the day with a chance to catch Calvin with a doubleheader sweep while gaining a direct head-to-head tiebreaker edge.

Instead, Calvin took care of business on Friday to cement its spot in the MIAA Tournament next week which will be played at either Hope or Trine.

Calvin took the opener 3-2 in nine innings and took game two by an 11-6 score. The Knights are now 27-9 overall and finish the MIAA regular season with a 12-4 record, good for a tie for third place in the final regular season standings.

GAME ONE
Calvin 3, Kalamazoo 2 (9 innings)

Calvin used a come-from-behind effort to gain a key 3-2 win over Kalamazoo in nine innings.

Junior Kirsten Krause (Fredonia, Wisc./Grafton HS) went all nine innings for Calvin, striking out eight without a walk while limiting the Hornets to seven hits. Krause upped her season record to 14-5 with the win.

Kalamazoo scored an unearned run in the first to grab a 1-0 lead and added a second run with three hits in the fifth.

Calvin rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the sixth as freshman Taylor Sanborn (Midland, Mich./Midland HS) drove in a run with an RBI single and sophomore Ali Schultz (Wyoming, Mich./Grandville HS) delivered a clutch sacrifice fly that brought home freshman Kennedi Pepin (Bourbannais, Il./Bradley Bourbannais HS) from third to tie the game 2-2.

The two teams traded scoreless frames in the seventh and eighth but the Knights were able to strike for the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth. Sophomore Grace Glass (Indianapolis, Ind./Heritage Christian HS) singled with one out and later moved to second with two outs. Playing in her hometown, junior Sydney Duong (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian HS) roped a double down the left-field line to bring home Glass for the 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Krause retired the side in order to give the Knights the win which clinched a spot in the MIAA Tournament.

Duong and senior Addi Warner (South Bend, Ind./Clay HS) had two hits apiece with both players collecting doubles.

GAME TWO
Calvin 11, Kalamazoo 6

Calvin fell behind four different times in game two but battled back to win by a five-run cushion. The Knights used a six-run inning in the bottom of the fifth inning to regain the lead for the final time.

Freshman Sage Mougin (New Carlisle, Pa./New Prairie HS) brought home the first two runs of the six-run rally with a two-run RBI double to left-center. Senior Hannah Biddlecome (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern HS) drove in a run with an RBI single while freshman Emma Walker (Hamilton, Mich./Saugatuck HS ) came home on a passed ball. Warner delivered a run-scoring single while junior Kali Yant (Vicksburg, Mich./Vicksburg HS) boomed a double to left field.

Calvin collected 11 hits in the win including two off the bat of Warner, two off the bat of Sanborn and two off the bat of freshman Lily Gaastra (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS). Duong also had a triple, drove in two runs and scored three runs while Warner drove in three runs.

Sophomore Maddy Meredith (Portland, Mich./Grand Ledge HS), freshman Josie Vink (Byron Center, Mich./South Christian HS) and Krause combined in the circle for the win with Vink picking up the first victory of her collegiate career as she tossed 1.1 innings of relief. Krause tossed two shutout innings at the end, lowering her season earned run average to 0.96.

COACHES COMMENT: "Those were two really competitive games featuring two teams trying to make the post season," said Calvin head softball coach Becky Hilgert. "Defensively we still need to play with a bit more urgency at times and we allowed them too many extra opportunities. I really liked how we competed offensively and in game one, had a few clutch hits late to tie and take the lead with players hitting unselfishly and moving runners which is how you win big games. Our goal from the start of the season was to finish in the top four in the conference. We talked throughout our conference about controlling our own destiny and we did that with 12 wins in one of the top conferences in the country. We are now looking forward to continuing to get better and competing in the MIAA Tournament playoffs next week."

NEXT UP: Calvin will compete in the four-team MIAA Tournament next Thursday and Friday with the site and times yet to be determined. The four teams in the tournament will include Hope, Trine, Alma and Calvin.