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Box Score 2 
Tim Bodine
The Hope College baseball team clinched a spot in next week's MIAA Tournament by defeating Olivet College once Friday and getting a little help from Alma College.
The Flying Dutchmen's Game 1 2-0 win over Olivet and Alma's sweep of Albion College gave Hope a three-game lead over fifth-place Albion with two games remaining.
Olivet edged Hope 1-0 in the nightcap to drop the Flying Dutchmen to 19-19 overall and 15-11 in MIAA play.
Hope and Olivet are scheduled to play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hope's Boeve Stadium, weather permitting.
In Friday's opener, Currey Thomas of Grandville, Michigan (Grandville HS), tossed a five-hit shutout for the Flying Dutchmen. He struck out nine and walked three.
Thomas (5-4) stranded Olivet runners at second and third base in the sixth after yielding a walk and a double to start the inning.
Hope supported Thomas by pushing centerfielder Tim Bodine of Gurnee, Illinois (Warren Township HS), across the plate in the first inning. Bodine singled, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.
In the sixth, Bodine scored from second after Olivet misplayed the stolen base attempt of leftfielder Devin Schaefers of Lake Forest, Calif. (El Toro HS), who was on first.
The nightcap saw Hope starting pitcher Austin Goodyke of Grandville (Calvin Christian HS) go the distance, but lose because the Flying Dutchmen were shut out on five hits.
Goodyke (3-3) scattered four hits and one run over six innings. Olivet produced an RBI single off Goodyke in the first.
