by Eva Dean Folkert

From the plate and on the mound, senior Megan Soderbloom, pictured top right, was an integral cog in the Hope College softball team's season-opening sweep of the Hanover College Panthers on Saturday in Hanover, Indiana. 

Competing again for the first time in 364 days, the Flying Dutch claimed an extra-inning victory in the first game, 5-2, and capitalized on three big innings for a second-game win, 10-8.

"Warming up and being in uniform and getting to compete together was so fun," said head coach Mary VandeHoef. "We were just grateful to be back out there and to be able to have perspective. . .  We want to enjoy every step of the way and every pitch and the ups and the downs and the grind. Because that's what this season will be. I think being able to be resilient, like we truly were today, could be the theme for the season."

In Game 1, Hope got on the board first with a solo home run by junior second baseman Arinn King of Hudsonville (Hudsonville HS), pictured bottom right, in the top of the fifth inning.

Hanover answered back with a single run on the bottom of the sixth, and when no team scored in the seventh, the game went to an extra inning.

The Flying Dutch generated four runs in the top of the eighth off three walks, one hits, two sacrifice flies, and a Hanover error.

Soderbloom of Dowagiac (Dowagiac HS) pitched 7 1/3 innings, giving up four hits, two runs, and striking out two while walking two.

She and King also accounted for four of Hope's five hits with two apiece. King led with two RBIs.

"It was great to see Sodie as a senior step up in a big moment and give us as many innings as she did in that first one, which was big for us," VandeHoef said. "Truly, all of our seniors had a great day. Every one of them contributed in getting two wins.

"And Arinn King's home run definitely sparked our offense and got us going."

In the second game, the Flying Dutch got their scoring done in three innings – three runs in the first and second innings each and a four-run fifth inning. 

The Flying Dutch battled back twice to overcome Hanover leads after being down 4-3 after the first inning, and 7-6 after the fourth inning.

Hope scattered 10 hits as junior first baseman Kaelin Callow of Plainfield, Ill. (Plainfield HS), sophomore right fielder Cayley Ebeling of Shelby Township (Utica HS), and Soderbloom recorded two hits apiece. Callow and Ebeling each hit a double.

Soderbloom, who went 4-for-7 at the plate for the day, led the Flying Dutch in the second game with three RBIs while Ebeling had two.

Freshman pitcher Alaina Adams of Oak Creek, Wisc. (St. Thomas More HS) earned the win by going 2 1/3 innings late in the game. She allowed four hits, one run, one base on balls, and fanned two.   

Hope is back on the road again next Saturday, March 13 at Defiance College (Ohio). The doubleheader starts at 1 p.m.