CLERMONT, Fl. - Today the Calvin softball team kicked off its 2024 campaign down in Clermont, Florida with two wins.

GAME 1
CALVIN 6, BETHANY LUTHERAN 5

In the first matchup of the day the Knights found themselves in a high scoring matchup against the Vikings from Bethany Lutheran. Calvin got on the board early when senior Grace Glass (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) beat out a bunt to first before stealing second shortly after. A few plays later Taylor Sanborn (Midland, Mich./Midland) punched the ball through the infield and allowed Glass to cross the plate.

Bethany answered with a run of its own in the top of the second but the Knights responded when Kennedi Pepin (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley Bourbonnais) caused chaos by forcing an error on a bunt and allowing Tory Decker (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) to score. Later in the inning, senior Ali Schultz (Wyoming, Mich./Grandville) entered the game as a pinch hitter and scored Pepin with a long fly ball.

The next piece of scoring action happened in the top of the fifth inning when the Vikings second baseman hit a three-run homerun, giving Bethany a 4-3 lead. 

In the bottom of the fifth inning the Knights put pressure on the Bethany defense as Calvin found itself with two runners on base off of two Vikings errors. Sanborn stepped into the batter's box and delivered a shot to left field and scored both Emilie Gist (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) and Carly Dole (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant) to put the Knights back in front. Two batters later Decker forced another defensive error as Sanborn crossed the plate to extend the lead to 6-4.

The Vikings tried to bounce back with a run in the top of the sixth but the Knight defense remained strong down the stretch as Calvin walked away with the 6-5 win. Sophomore Brooke Hunderman (Grand Rapids, Mich./Calvin Christian) started on the mound for Calvin and recorded five strikeouts before junior Zoe Hazelhoff (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) entered the game in the fifth inning. Hazelhoff recorded one strikeout and was credited with the win while sophomore Emma Ludema (Martin, Mich./Wayland) entered the game in the seventh inning to get the save.

GAME 2
CALVIN 7, MARIETTA 2 

The Knights kept things rolling as they started their second game of the day against the Marietta Pioneers. In the top of the first inning Glass and Dole both found their way on before the Pioneers intentionally walked Sanborn to load the bases with one out. Alanna Garcia (Holt, Mich./Holt) drew a walk to score Glass which brought up Decker who singled to left field to bring in another run. Calvin rounded out its first inning scoring when Emma Walker (Hamilton, Mich./Saugatuck) sent a deep sacrifice fly to center field which allowed Sanborn to cross the plate.

Calvin added to its tally in the top of the second when second baseman Sage Mougin (New Carlisle, Ind./New Prairie) had a lead-off double before Dole brought her in with a sacrifice ground ball. Marietta picked up its first run of the game in the bottom of the second before both teams went quiet for a while offensively. 

It wasn't until the top of the fifth when things picked back up again when Gist and Sanborn both forced the Pioneers defense to make errors. With two runners on, Garcia sent a rocket to left field to score Gist while Sanborn advanced to third. Pepin then entered the game as a pinch runner but wasn't on base for long as Decker hit a single and picked up an RBI to extend the Calvin lead to 6-1.

In the top of the seventh Dole kicked things off with a lead off triple before being brought in by Sanborn two batters later. Marietta tried to rally when it scored a run in the bottom of the seventh but the Knights dug in on defense and finished the day with a 7-2 victory.

Ludema went the distance in the circle for the Knights, recording eleven strikeouts while walking only one batter. Sanborn finished up the day with two hits and four RBIs while Decker and Garcia both had two RBIs.

COACHES COMMENT: "I was very pleased with our effort and energy today," said head coach Becky Hilgert. "We faced two very good opponents who tested us throughout the day and I felt we stayed very team focused offensively and did what the team needed in key moments when we were at the plate. Defensively, despite a few mistakes, we didn't let situations snowball, which is key when you are facing opponents who can change the game with one swing. Overall, it was a great start to our young season."

UP NEXT: The Knights will be back in action tomorrow when they take on Alvernia at 9 a.m. followed by Heidelberg at 11:15 a.m.