Box Score 1 Pitcher Sydney Jones extended her scoreless string on the mound to 17 innings as the Hope College softball swept Albion 5-0 and 14-1 on Saturday at Wolters Stadium.
The Flying Dutch raised their record to 17-11 overall and 7-3 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play by pushing their win streak to a season-high seven games.
The games were part of Hometown Week presented by Lorence & Vander Zwart. Hope is in third place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association standings — just two games behind league-leaders Alma and Trine.
Jones (6-8) tossed a two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts for her third victory in four games. She has lowered her ERA to 2.47 the past three outings.
Jones has reached 85 strikeouts this season and passed Michelle Marra for 10th place on Hope's single-season leaders. Marra had 81 in 2010.
Second baseman Sierra Mutschler of Wayland, Michigan (Wayland HS) went 2-for-3 with a RBI double and a run-scoring single.
Rightfielder Sammi Adams of Griffith, Indiana (Griffith HS), catcher Hayley Reitsma of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grand Rapids Christian HS) and centerfielder Autumn Anderson each had RBI singles.
In the nightcap, leftfielder Noelle Jackson of Grand Blanc, Michigan (Grand Blanc HS) finished 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI.
Mutschler and Adams both went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Mutschler doubled twice while upping her batting average to a team-best .378.
Hope broke open the game that ended after five innings with a nine-run fourth.
Winning pitcher Kate Laverty of Eaton Rapids, Michigan (Eaton Rapids HS) scattered five hits and one run over four innings. Laverty (8-3) struck out three.
Hope returns to action on Monday, April 18 with a nonleague doubleheader at Wheaton, Illinois.
