by Greg Chandler
The Hope College softball team split two games against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association opponents in Kalamazoo Saturday, falling to Albion College 2-1, then bouncing back to defeat Kalamazoo College, 6-3.
The games do not count in the MIAA conference standings. The Flying Dutch are now 17-7 on the season, 8-0 in official conference games heading into a big doubleheader on Tuesday, April 21 at Wolters Stadium against archrival Calvin University. First pitch will be at 3 p.m.
A three-run uprising in the bottom of the sixth inning turned out to be the difference in Hope's win over the Hornets. With the score tied at 3-3, senior designated player Megan Soderbloom of Dowagiac, Michigan (Dowagiac HS) reached on an error. Senior shortstop Savannah Dixon of Niles, Michigan (Edwardsburg HS) was hit by a pitch, putting two runners on with no outs.
Junior pitcher Avery Slancik of Scotts, Michigan (Vicksburg HS) laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third.
Senior catcher Morgann Kanouse of Cadillac, Michigan (Cadillac HS) broke the tie with an RBI single, scoring Soderbloom to put the Flying Dutch ahead 4-3.
After a walk to freshman pinch-hitter Vanessa Krombeen of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grandville Calvin Christian HS) loaded the bases, sophomore right fielder Cayley Ebeling of Shelby Township, Michigan (Utica HS) delivered a two-run single to boost the Hope lead to 6-3.
Slancik, who had entered the game in relief of Soderbloom in the fifth inning, set down the Hornets in order in the seventh to seal her fifth win of the season against one loss. She pitched three shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks.
Hope jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on RBI doubles by Soderbloom and Dixon, along with a run-scoring single by senior designated player Claire Bates of Midland, Michigan (Bullock Creek HS).
Kalamazoo capitalized on a passed ball on a third strike and an error to score all of its runs in the third inning. All three runs were unearned.
Junior second baseman Arinn King of Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville HS), pictured right, went 3-for-4, including a double, in the win, while Dixon was 2-for-2, pcitured left.
The game against Albion was a pitcher's duel between Hope freshman Alaina Adams of Oak Creek, Wisconsin (Milwaukee St. Thomas More HS) and the Britons' Ashley Pion. The two teams combined for a grand total of five hits – three by Albion, two by Hope.
The Flying Dutch got on the board first in the top of the second. Soderbloom led off with a double. Freshman Kyra Acker of Eaton Rapids, Michigan (Eaton Rapids HS) pinch-ran for Soderbloom. Acker advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Dixon and scored on a wild pitch.
The 1-0 lead held up for Hope until the bottom of the sixth, when Albion strung together a walk, two singles, a passed ball and a sacrifice to score twice and take the lead. The Flying Dutch went down in order in the top of the seventh.
Adams allowed three hits over six innings, walked two and struck out five in taking the loss. She is now 3-2 on the season.
