ANGOLA, Ind. - Today the Calvin softball team traveled to Angola, Ind. to take on top-ranked Trine where it picked up a sweep over the Thunder for the first time in program history. After today's games Calvin improved to a 17-7 overall and 3-3 in MIAA play while Trine fell to 26-3 and 4-2 in the MIAA.
 
GAME 1
CALVIN 13, TRINE 7
 
In the first game of the afternoon the Knights didn't waste any time getting things rolling as senior Grace Glass (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) led off the top of the fist with a single back to the pitcher. Glass was thrown out at second on the next play but Aubrey Herder (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) took her spot on first to still give Calvin a base runner. Next up was sophomore Carly Dole (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant) who singled up the middle to put runners on first and third for the Knights. On the next pitch Dole looked to steal second base and thanks to an overthrow from the Thunder catcher, Herder crossed the plate for the first run of the game. Taylor Sanborn (Midland, Mich./Midland) kept things going as she doubled to left center to bring in Dole before Emma Walker (Hamilton, Mich./Saugatuck) hit a double of her own to score another run and give Calvin the 3-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the first inning, the Thunder bounced back as they were able to string together enough hits to push three runs across the plate and once again make the game even. Junior Lily Gaastra (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) led off the top of the second inning for the Knights when she smoked a double to right center. After advancing to third on a ground ball, Gaastra crossed the plate when Dole singled to right field to give Calvin the 4-3 lead.
 
Things were quiet for a few innings as sophomore Emma Ludema (Martin, Mich./Wayland) held the Thunder offense at bay, something that not many pitchers have been able to do this season. Trine eventually picked up a run in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie things up but the Calvin offense was nowhere near being done.
 
Despite starting the top of the fifth inning with a strikeout and a ground out, Sanborn gave Calvin a base runner when she reached first on a fielding error from the Trine third baseman. That error would prove to be costly for the Thunder as Emilie Gist (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) followed it up with a double before Tory Decker (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) hit a two-run RBI single to reclaim the lead for the Knights. This brought up Walker who kept the offensive surge going when she hit a home run over the left field fence to make the score 8-4.
 
In an attempt to stop the bleeding, Trine made a pitching change but that did nothing to stop the two-out rally as freshman Emily Sweetland (Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline) gave the Knights another base runner when she doubled down the left field line. Next up was Gaastra who delivered an RBI single before rounding out the Calvin scoring that inning when she scored on the next play to make the score 10-4.
 
After holding the Thunder to a scoreless fifth inning the Knights continued their relentless scoring in the top of the sixth when Dole led off with a solo home run over the left field fence. Sage Mougin (New Carlisle, Ind./New Prairie) entered the game as a pinch runner for Sanborn after she singled through the right side to give Calvin a base runner. Decker picked up her third RBI of the game when she doubled to left field before crossing the plate herself when Walker picked up her fourth RBI to give Calvin the 13-4 lead.
 
Trine tried to rally as it scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth and one run in the seventh but the deficit would prove to be too big as Calvin walked away with the 13-7 victory. 
 
Ludema went all seven innings in the circle for Calvin where she recorded four strikeouts.
 
GAME 2
CALVIN 4, TRINE 2
 
The second game of the day would prove to be a defensive battle as the offensive chances were kept to a minimum on both sides of the ball. Trine struck first when it hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning before following it up with another run in the top of the second to take the 2-0 lead.
 
From that point on the Knights locked in as sophomore pitcher Brooke Hunderman (Grand Rapids, Mich./Calvin Christian) kept the Thunder batters off-balance and allowed her defense to make plays behind her.
 
It wasn't until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Knights offense came alive as Glass led off with a single back up the middle. Two batters later, Dole stepped into the batter's box and hit her second home run of the day, a two-run shot over the left center fence to tie things up at 2-2. However, the Knights weren't satisfied with a tie as Gist kept the momentum rolling with a single to left center. Decker followed that up with a single to left field before Walker came in clutch with a double that allowed both runs to score as Calvin took the 4-2 lead.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, with their backs against the wall, the Thunder failed to get anything going as Hunderman forced three easy fly balls to give Calvin the game two victory and a series sweep.
 
Hunderman finished the game with six strikeouts in the circle while only giving up three hits.
 
COACHES COMMENTS: "Coming into today we really wanted to focus on having great energy and competing on every pitch, and I thought this was the best we've done in both those areas for a consistent fourteen innings all year," said head coach Becky Hilgert. "Offensively, we had a good game plan and I felt our hitters trusted our scout and stayed aggressive and disciplined in what we wanted to do offensively against Trine's pitchers. Today our hitters fought and battled in each at bat and didn't panic, and you could see the results of that mentality with a bit of a wild hitting fest in game one and then staying the course and finding a way to pass the bat, get runners on and come out on top in game two. We have more work to do in this conference race but these were two big results."
 
UP NEXT: The Knights will be back in action on Wednesday, April 17th when they travel to Albion to take on the Brits at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.