A late rally from the Hope College softball team fell short in a 5-2 loss to Calvin College Saturday in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The 17th-ranked Flying Dutch suffered their first defeat of the Holland, Michigan Regional they are hosting and will play Franklin (Indiana) in an elimination game this afternoon. The winner advances to Monday's regional final against Calvin.

Playing the Knights for the fifth time this season, Hope threatened to overcome a 3-0 deficit by scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth.

The Flying Dutch (30-10 overall) had three runners on with one out after an RBI single from shortstop Savannah Dixon of Niles, Michigan (Edwardsburg HS) and a bases-loaded walk by centerfielder Noelle Jackson of Grand Blanc, Michigan (Grand Blanc).

Calvin reliever Ellie Borst ended the threat by inducing a popout and a groundout.

The Knights (32-8) tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh. Borst retired three of the four batters she faced in the seventh to record her first save of the season.

Photo by Tom Renner