PHOTO GALLERY

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Today the Calvin University softball team honored its senior class of Emilie Gist, Emma Springer, Ali Schultz, and Grace Glass by picking up two more MIAA wins over the Belles of Saint Mary's. After today's games the Knights improved to an overall record of 26-8 and an MIAA record of 9-3 while Saint Mary's fell to 8-20 overall and 4-10 in MIAA play.
 
GAME 1
CALVIN 4, SAINT MARY'S 3
 
In the first game of the day the Knights got on the board early when Grace Glass (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) showed off her speed by beating out a bunt to start the bottom of the first inning. Glass quickly moved into scoring position as she stole second before being brought home when Taylor Sanborn (Midland, Mich./Midland) doubled down the left field line and made the score 1-0.
 
Saint Mary's didn't wait long to respond as it pushed a run of its own across the plate in the top of the second inning to even the score. The Knights' next scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the third inning when Glass forced a walk and then proceeded to record her second stolen base of the day. Next up, Aubrey Herder (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) singled to right field before a wild pitch moved her to third and allowed Glass to cross the plate. The Knights kept things rolling as Dole forced a walk and then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. This brought up Sanborn who added two more RBIs to her total as she singled back up the middle and extended the lead to 4-0.
 
On defense, sophomore Brooke Hunderman (Grand Rapids, Mich./Calvin Christian) started the game in the circle where she recorded five strikeouts. In the top of the fourth inning, Saint Mary's came alive on offense and found holes in the Calvin defense as they closed the gap to make the score 4-3. With one out to go in the fourth, Zoe Hazelhoff (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) entered the circle for Calvin where she forced a ground ball and stopped the bleeding. From that point on the Knights tightened things up on defense and walked away with the 4-3 victory. 
 
GAME 2
CALVIN 10, SAINT MARY'S 6
 
In game two, the Knights picked up where they left off as Sanborn led off the top of the second inning with a single through the right side. Emilie Gist (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt before a single from Tory Decker (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) put runners on the corners for Calvin. On the next play, a passed ball allowed Decker to move to third as Sanborn crossed the plate for the first run of the game. Two batters later, Emma Walker (Hamilton, Mich./Marian) singled through the left side to make the score 2-0. 
 
In the next inning, Glass and Herder each found a way on base before a triple from Dole extended the Calvin lead. Dole also crossed the plate that inning when Sanborn hit a sacrifice fly ball to center field to make the score 5-0.
 
In the bottom of the third inning, the Belles looked to bounce back and make things interesting as several hits and a few defensive mis-cues allowed four runs to cross the plate and cut the Knights lead down to one run.
 
Calvin responded quickly in the top of the fourth inning when Emily Sweetland (Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline) hit a lead off double to left center. A few batters later, with runners on second and third, Dole singled through the infield and scored one run before a defense error allowed the second to cross the plate. Gist picked up an RBI when she laid down a sacrifice bunt to boost the Calvin lead to 8-4.
 
The Knights rounded out their scoring in the top of the fifth when senior Emma Springer (Three Oaks, Mich./River Valley) singled to left field before Walker followed with a single of her own. Next up, Sweetland reached on fielder's choice as the Belles defense made a nice play to get Springer, the lead runner, out at third. Senior Ali Schultz (Wyoming, Mich./Grandville) entered the game as a pinch hitter and delivered a clutch double to left center to score Walker and move Sweetland to third. Herder picked up the final RBI for the Knights when she singled up the middle to make the score 10-4.
 
The Belle were able to pick up two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning but the deficit was too great as Calvin emerged with the 10-6 victory.
 
In the circle, all three Knight pitchers saw action as Emma Ludema (Martin, Mich./Wayland) started in the circle where she recorded one strikeout. Hazelhoff entered the game in the third inning where she recorded two strikeouts and received the win before being relieved by Hunderman in the sixth inning. 
 
UP NEXT: The Knights will be back in action on Wednesday, May 1st when they travel to Alma for a MIAA doubleheader. Game one will begin at 3:00 PM while game two will start at 5:00 PM.