by Eva Dean Folkert

Senior Evan Maday, known for his speedster ways on the base paths, used his power to club one home run in Game 1 and two homers in a Game 2 on Saturday.

Those last two round-trippers – and a huge 10-run inning in the day's second game – helped lift the Hope College baseball team to a doubleheader split at Alma College.

The Flying Dutchmen defeated the Scots 17-6 in the nightcap but lost to Alma, 10-4, in the first game of the day.

Hope also had split results with Alma on Friday at Boeve Stadium, and the weekend results now give the Flying Dutchmen a 4-7 MIAA mark and an 11-12 overall record. Alma is 6-4 in the league and 11-11 overall.

Maday is Hope's career leader in stolen bases with 71, accomplished in just three seasons since the 2020 season was cancelled due to the pandemic. He is also currently ranked first in NCAA Division III in steals this season with 25.

On Saturday, though, the centerfielder from Grand Rapids, Michigan (East Kentwood HS) had more home runs (3) than his trademark steals (1).

"Evan made a small adjustment yesterday when he was getting jammed," said head coach Stu Fritz. "He's just a student of the game. He works super hard at his craft. Today, those were three of the most legitimate home runs. No wind blowing, it was gorgeous day, and he just absolutely smashed them all. All three were no-doubters." 

In the second game, Hope's 10-run fifth inning gave the Flying Dutchmen a commanding 15-2 lead. That inning saw 15 Flying Dutchmen go to the plate to collect seven hits and four walks. 

Maday accounted for 10 of Hope's 17 runs as he batted in six and scored four himself. Senior third baseman Joey Merucci (Northville Township, Mich./Catholic Central) followed with three RBIs while scoring twice. 

Four Hope pitchers saw action in Game 2 with senior starter Max Gaishin (2-2) of Stevensville, Michigan (Lakeshore HS) getting the win after going 2 2/3 innings which saw him give up four hits and two runs. 

In the first game, Hope chased after Alma for most of the game as the Scots were up 6-1 at the end of the third inning. The Flying Dutchmen scored single runs in innings three, five, six and seven.

The Flying Dutchmen scattered 11 hits with Maday, Merucci, senior catcher Cal Barrett (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea HS) and senior shortstop Brant Kym (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville HS) each hitting two.

Senior Al Vasquez (3-3) of Chelsea, Michigan (Chelsea HS) took the Game 1 loss on the mound as he allowed eight hits and six runs in 2 1/3  innings of work.

"We're still trying to decide who we want to be," Fritz said of his team's play on Saturday. "The first game we just didn't execute very well in every phase of the game. Then in Game 2, it all clicked. The big inning certainly makes things easier, takes a little pressure off. But that's the nature of this game. In a four-hour time period, it can break your heart and then all of a sudden you love it again."

 Hope travels to Calvin University next Friday, April 23 for the start of a two-day, four-game series with the Knights. The first pitch at Calvin is at 2 p.m.