GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Today the Calvin softball team picked up two wins on the road against the Hornets of Kalamazoo to improve to a 17-9 overall record and 5-1 in MIAA conference play. 
 
GAME ONE
CALVIN 2, KALAMAZOO 0
 
In the top of the third inning, senior Carly Dole (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant) gave Calvin a spark when she hit a lead off double to left center. Two plays later, a double from fellow senior Tory Decker (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) brought Dole home for the first score of the game and Calvin took a 1-0 lead.
 
The Knights kept things rolling in the fourth inning when sophomore Valeria Frias () forced a lead off walk to give Calvin an early base runner. Frias advanced to second on a ground out before a single from Audrey Ford (Kalamazoo, Mich./Mattawan) moved her to third. On the next play, the Hornets pitcher lost control of the ball and Frias took advantage by stealing home a wild pitch to extend the lead to 2-0.
 
In the circle, senior pitcher Brooke Hunderman (Grand Rapids, Mich./Calvin Christian) went all seven innings as she recorded a shutout and the win for the Knights. Hunderman notched ten strikeouts while only giving up four hits.
 
GAME TWO
CALVIN 10, KALAMAZOO 0
 
Calvin carried its momentum from the first game into the second as freshman Bella Duimstra (Jenison, Mich./Unity Christian) led off the bottom of the first inning with a single up the middle. Duimstra worked her way to third before a sacrifice fly from Dole brought her home for the first run of the game. Up next, junior Natalie Bush (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) stepped into the batters box and hit a rocket over the center field fence to increase the Calvin lead. The Knights tacked on one more run in the first when freshman Kendall Jordan (Fishers, Ind./Fishers) score off an RBI double from Decker to make the score 3-0.
 
In the second inning, junior Aubrey Herder (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) gave Calvin a base runner she singled to left field. Duimstra followed that up with a single of her own before Herder took advantage of a Hornets fielding error and crossed home plate. Ford got in on the action when she sent a sacrifice fly to center field to score Duimstra and give Calvin a 5-0 lead.
 
The Knights showed no signs of slowing down as Bush hit her second home run of the game to lead off the bottom of the third inning to build on Calvin's lead. In the fourth inning, Dole recorded an RBI when she forced a walk with bases loaded before Decker brought in three runs when she knocked a double to left field to make the score 10-0.
 
In the top of the fifth inning, led by senior pitcher Emma Ludema (Martin, Mich./Wayland), the Calvin defense successfully shut down the Hornets and the game came to an end thanks to the mercy rule. Ludema had an outstanding showing as she recorded her first no-hitter of the season and notched five strikeouts.
 
COACHES COMMENTS: "Great to pick up two more conferences wins on the road," said head coach Becky Hilgert. "Our defensive played very well today and Brooke and Emma pitched efficiently and kept the hitters off balance. Offensively we left way too many on base in game 1 so in game 2 it was nice to punch through and get production up and down the order."
 
UP NEXT: The Knights will be back in action on Friday, April 17th when they welcome Alma to campus for a MIAA double header at 3 PM and 5 PM.