BEREA, Ohio - Today the Calvin softball team traveled to Baldwin Wallace where it picked up the sweep against the Yellow Jackets.
GAME 1
CALVIN 6, BALDWIN WALLACE 3
The Knights were the first on the board in the top of the fourth inning when Emilie Gist (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) sent a solo home run over the left field fence to give Calvin the 1-0 lead. Next up to bat was catcher Taylor Sanborn (Midland, Mich./Midland) who singled to left field before being brought in two batters later when Tory Decker (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) hit the Knights second home run of the inning and extended the lead to 3-0.
The Yellowjackets responded in the bottom of the fifth inning when they pushed a run across the plate to make it 3-1. In the sixth Calvin got things rolling again when Grace Glass (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) led off the inning with a single as she beat out a bunt down the first base line. Gist sent the ball back up the middle before a fielder's choice decision allowed Sanborn to get on and load the bases for the Knights. Senior Ali Schultz (Wyoming, Mich./Grandville) then entered the game as a pinch hitter and put the ball in play to pick up an RBI when Glass crossed the plate. A few batters later pinch hitter Kennedi Pepin (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley Bourbonnais) came up clutch for Calvin when she singled to left field and brought in two runs to extend the Knights lead.
In a last chance effort, Baldwin Wallace strung together enough hits to score some runs in the bottom of the seventh but the deficit would prove to be too great as Calvin would walk away with the 6-3 win.
Emma Ludema (Martin, Mich./Wayland) pitched all seven innings for the Knights where she struck out seven Yellowjacket batters.
GAME 2
CALVIN 2, BALDWIN WALLACE 1
The second game of the day started off quietly as both teams struggled to get things going offensively. In the circle for the Knights, sophomore pitcher Brooke Hunderman (Grand Rapids, Mich./Calvin Christian) kept the Baldwin Wallace batters off balance until the bottom of the fourth inning when the Yellowjackets managed to push a run across the plate for the first run of the game.
However, the Knights responded quickly in the top of the fifth when Pepin stayed in the box and got hit by a pitch to give Calvin a baserunner. A fielding error by the Baldwin Wallace defense allowed Emma Walker (Hamilton, Mich./Saugatuck) to get on base and advance Pepin to third before Schultz picked up an RBI when a ground ball brough Pepin home. Junior Lily Gaastra (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) then stepped up and scored Walker with a single to center field to give the Knights a 2-1 lead.
From then on the Calvin defense locked in behind Hunderman as they limited the Yellowjackets scoring opportunity and picked up the 2-1 win.
COACHES COMMENT: "Two big wins for us today against a very good Baldwin Wallace team," said head coach Becky Hilgert. "Overall, their pitchers kept us off balance offensively but we didn't get frustrated. We made the necessary adjustments, kept fighting, and we were able to find some production at key moments. Defensively, we played pretty well and Emma [Ludema] and Brooke [Hunderman] did a good job spinning the ball and getting a lot of bad contact. Really proud of how we competed as a group today."
UP NEXT: The Knights will be back in action on Friday, March 26th when they host Chicago for their home opener. The first game will begin at 2 p.m. followed by game two at 4 p.m.
