GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Today the Calvin softball team picked up two wins against the Comets of Olivet. After today's games the Knights moved to an overall record of 21-7 and an MIAA record of 7-3 while Olivet fell to 3-19 overall and 0-8 in the MIAA.
GAME 1
CALVIN 5, OLIVET 0
In the first game of the day the Knights got things rolling when Aubrey Herder (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) doubled to left center followed by a single to left center by Carly Dole (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant). Junior Taylor Sanborn (Midland, Mich./Midland) then reached base on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Next up was Emilie Gist (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) who forced the Comets to make an error as the first Calvin run crossed the plate. The Knights pushed one more run across the plate that inning when Tory Decker (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) singled to center field and scored Dole to make it 2-0.
The Knights tacked on another run in the bottom of the second inning when Kennedi Pepin (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradely Bourbonnais) laid down a bunt that caused enough chaos for Lily Gaastra (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) to score from second base and make the score 3-0.
Calvin tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Dole and Sanborn each got on base before Decker picked up her second and third RBIs of the game to secure the 5-0 win.
On defense, Brooke Hunderman (Grand Rapids, Mich./Calvin Christian) manned the circle for the Knights where she put on a stellar performance. Hunderman struck out thirteen of the twenty-one batters she faced while the Calvin defense took care of the rest and Hunderman recorded the first perfect game of her career.
GAME 2
CALVIN 12, OLIVET 1
Calvin kept the offensive momentum rolling into game two as Sage Mougin (New Carlisle, Ind./New Prairie) led off the top of the first inning with a single back up the middle. After Herder and Dole also found their way on base, Gist stepped into the batter's box with bases loaded and delivered a double to left field to score two runs. Dole and Gist both crossed the plate on the next play when Decker singled through the left side to make the score 4-0. Calvin rounded out their first inning scoring when a defensive miscue from the Comets allowed Decker to score and extend the Knights lead.
In the bottom of the second inning back-to-back singles from Herder and Dole gave Calvin two quick base runners. Sanborn singled to cash in the first run while a sacrifice fly from Gist allowed Dole to score and make the score 7-0.
While another run crossed the plate in the top of the third when Gaastra sent a sacrifice fly to center field to score Emma Walker (Hamilton, Mich./Saugatuck), Calvin added two more in the four inning as pinch hitter Ella Steele (San Jose, Calif./Valley Christian) doubled down the left field line to score Decker and Gist to make it a 10-0 game.
In the top of the fifth inning sophomore Emma Tornes (Dorr, Mich./Wayland) entered the game as a pinch hitter and singled through the left side. Two batters later, Roan Stanifer (Mishawaka, Ind./Marian) stood in the batters box for the first at-bat of her career and delivered a double to left center to score the runner and boost the Calvin lead. The Knights scored their final run of the day on the next play when Gist singled to right center and scored Stanifer to make the score 12-0.
Olivet was able to push a run across the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning to get on the board for the first time today but the Calvin defense held strong and recorded the final two outs to give the Knights 12-1 win in just five innings.
Junior Zoe Hazelhoff (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) went all five innings in the circle for the Knights where she recorded six strikeouts and only gave up two hits.
COACHES COMMENTS: "Great to pick up two more wins in this tough conference," said head coach Becky Hilgert. "Really happy with Brooke's efficiency in the circle and the defense played well behind her. Would have been good to execute offensively in a few more situations in game one but certainly happy how we came out offensively to start game two. Defensively, we played well behind Zoe who did a good job keeping their hitters off balance."
UP NEXT: The Knights will be back in action on Tuesday, April 23rd when they welcome Ohio Northern for a non-conference match up. Game one will begin at 3 p.m. while game two will start at 5 p.m.
