First baseman Shay Pinhey continues to swing a hot bat for the Hope College softball team.

The Flying Dutch's leadoff hitter knocked in the winning run in a 3-2 victory against Benedictine (Illinois) on Tuesday in Clermont, Florida, with a two-out single to center in the top of the sixth inning that plated pinch-runner Alex Knorp of Livonia, Michigan (Stevenson).

Pinhey, pictured left, leads all Hope players with a .469 batting average.

Hope improved to 7-2 on the season. The Flying Dutch's second game Tuesday — against Babson (Massachusetts) — was canceled because of severe weather.

Hope rallied from a 2-0 deficit after two innings.

In the third, centerfielder Noelle Jackson of Grand Blanc, Michigan (Grand Blanc) delivered Hope's first run with a single to center that drove home rightfielder Amanda Diaz of Mundelein< Illinois (Mundelein).

The Flying Dutch evened the score in the fifth with an unearned run. Pinch-runner Jordyn Diaz of Naperville, Illinois (Neuqua Valley) crossed home plate after Benedictine (1-4) misplayed the bunt by catcher Hayley Reitsma of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grand Rapids Christian).

Third baseman Morgan Kanouse of Cadillac, Michigan (Cadillac), pictured at right, started the decisive sixth with a two-out single to left. Knorp ran for Kanouse and moved to second on Amanda Diaz's walk. That set the stage for Pinhey, who delivered her third hit of the game.

Winning pitcher Sydney Jones of South Lyon, Michigan (East) squashed a Benedictine rally in the bottom of the inning by stranding a runner at second. Jones, who improved to 3-1, allowed six hits and two unearned runs over six innings.

Tena Baar of Byron Center, Michigan (Byron Center) retired three of the four batters she faced in the seventh for her first save of the season.