GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.- Today the Calvin softball team celebrated senior day as the Knights welcomed the Belles of Saint Mary's for their final regular season matchup. It would be the final time the seniors would play on their home field, and they went out in style as the Knights run-ruled the Belles both game taking the first 12-0 before winning the second 18-0.
 
GAME ONE
CALVIN 12, SAINT MARY'S 0
 
In the bottom of the first inning the Knights got things rolling when Hannah Biddlecome (Dallas, Tx./Portage Northern) forced four balls to get to first. Biddlecome then showed off her speed by stealing second and third before a ground ball by Carly Dole (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant) brought her home as the first run of the game. Three straight singles from Taylor Sanborn (Midland, Mich./Midland), Ali Schultz (Wyoming, Mich./Grandville), and Grace Glass (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) loaded the bases for Calvin. This brought up senior Kali Yant (Vicksburg, Mich./Vicksburg) who hit a single to center field to score two more runs and give Calvin a 3-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the second inning started again when Biddlecome earned her second walk of the day before quickly being brought home when Dole hit a triple to right center. Sanborn then hit a single back up the middle to extend the Knights lead to 5-0.
 
The Knights next scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the third when Biddlecome started things once again, this time with a lead off triple. Dole followed that up with a triple of her own to bring in Biddlecome for another Calvin run. Sanborn found her way on base after earning a walk before Schultz hit a hard ground ball that allowed Dole to score. A single through the infield from Glass allowed Sanborn to score to extend the lead to 8-0.
 
With two runners in scoring position Yant hit a ground ball to score Schultz before a single up the middle from Emma Walker (Hamilton, Mich./Saugatuck) scored Glass to give the Knights two more runs. Lily Gaastra (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) entered the game and was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second for Calvin. Biddlecome singled to center field which allowed both runs to score to extend the lead to 12-0.
 
Senior Kirsten Krause (Fredonia, Wis./Grafton) was lights out in the circle as she shut down the Belle's in five straight innings as Calvin won by a mercy run. Krause finished her final game on her home turf with eight strikeouts while only giving up one hit.
 
GAME 2
CALVIN 18, SAINT MARY'S 0
 
The Knights kept the momentum rolling when Biddlecome started things in the top of the first when she forced four balls for a walk. This brought up Dole who smacked an RBI triple to right center. Sanborn then singled up the middle to score Dole as Josie Vink (Byron Center, Mich./South Christian) then entered the game as a pinch runner. On the next play Shultz forced the Saint Mary's defense to make an error which allowed Vink to score and gave the Knights a quick 3-0 lead.
 
The Knights had a big second inning that started when Gaastra singled up the middle. After an error by the Belles defense put another runner in base Biddlecome singled through the left side of the infield to score Gaastra. Now, with two runners in scoring position, Dole hit her four triples of the day over the head of the center fielder and allowed two more runs to score. With that hit Dole set a new school record for most triples in a single season with eight on the year. With a 6-0 lead the Knights didn't let up as back-to-back doubles from Sanborn and Schultz gave Calvin two more runs.
 
On the next play Glass found her way on with an infield single before a double from Yant scored both Schultz and Glass. Two batters later an error from the defense allowed the Knights to score another run and their lead increased to 11-0.
 
In the top of the fourth senior Sydney Duong (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) picked up her first hit of the day when she tripled to right field. She was quickly brought in when Biddlecome forced the Belles to make an error on her hard-hit ground ball. Dole the singled to left while Sanborn followed that up with a double that scored Biddlecome and put two runners in scoring position. Freshman Alanna Garcia (Holt, Mich./Holt) picked up her first career RBI when she hit a ground ball to the right side of the infield and Dole crossed the plate. After defensive error allowed a run to score the Knights sat at a comfortable 15-0 lead.
 
In the top of the fifth Kennedi Pepin (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley Bourbonnais) entered the game and hit a single through the left side on the first pitch she saw. This brought up Duong who, in her final home field at-bat, sent a two-run home run soaring over the left field fence. This marked Duong's seventh home run of the season and the twelfth of her career. Biddlecome singled to the shortstop before she was brought in two batters later a single by Sanborn to score the final run of the day as the Knights won 18-0.
 
In the circle freshman Emma Ludema (Martin, Mich./Wayland) got the start and pitched for two innings. She recorded three strikeouts without giving up a hit before Zoe Hazelhoff (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) entered the game. Hazelhoff would record three strikeouts and give up two runs as she picked up the win. Freshman pitcher Brooke Hunderman (Grand Rapids, Mich./Calvin Christian) also got her chance in the circle as she entered the game in the fifth inning. The Knights pitching staff and defense were outstanding on their home field as they did not allow a single run in their ten home matchups in season.
 
Today's wins also helped the Knights secure the No. 2 seed heading into the MIAA tournament next weekend.
 
After the games the Knights gathered to celebrate their three seniors: Krause, Duong, and Yant. All there have made significant contributions to the Calvin softball program over their four years and will look to continue to do so as the teams looks forward to the tournament.
 
COACHES COMMENT: "It is a great to finish the regular season with two more MIAA wins," said head coach Becky Hilgert. "We accomplished our first team goal of finishing in the top four in the conference and to win 13 games and tie our 2005 team for most conference wins is great for our program. I am even more proud that in our ten home games we gave up zero runs which is quite a statistic. I'm also thrilled for our three senior who have done so much for our program. We are now looking forward to three days for practice to continue to get better and prepare for our playoff run."
 
UP NEXT: The Knights will head into the postseason next weekend as they travel to Angola, Ind. for the MIAA Conference Tournament. The tournament is double elimination and with Calvin being the No. 2 seed they will take on No. 3 Alma in their first matchup on Thursday. In the other game, No. 1 Trine will face No. 4 Adrian.