by Odille Parker

Strong pitching performances by Kameron Miller and Matt Plaehn led the Hope College baseball team to a sweep against Albion College Friday afternoon.

Miller pitched six innings in the Flying Dutchmen's 11-1 seven-inning win for the first game. The senior of Coldwater (Coldwater HS) struck out seven hitters, tying his career-high performance at the mound. 

Plaehn (Okemos/Lansing Catholic HS), pictured right, continued Hope's momentum at the mound for the 6-0 seven-inning shutout in the second game, tossing six scoreless innings, and recording a career-high of eight in strikeouts.

The sweep improved Hope's overall record to 16-13 and 9-8 in MIAA play. The two teams are scheduled to conclude their series with a 12 p.m. doubleheader at Albion on Saturday, May 1.

Senior Evan Maday homered in the bottom of the first inning of Game 1, bringing in Nolan Gardner (Grand Rapids/East Grand Rapids HS) to put the Flying Dutchmen on the board 2-0. The Grand Rapids senior outfielder (East Kentwood HS) leads the team with six home runs this season. 

The Britons scored their only run in the top of the second inning, but Hope capitalized on two ealy walks by Albion to bring the score 1-6 in the bottom of the inning. Spencer Cable (Hudsonville/Hudsonville HS) singled to left field, bringing Grant Barrett (Chelsea/Chelsea HS) home and advancing Andrew Gilpin to second.

Gilpin scored on a fielding error by first-base on Maday's at-bat, and Cal Barrett (Chelsea/Chelsea HS) singled to center, recording two RBIs. 

The Flying Dutchmen scored the rest of their runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman Robbie Stuursma, pictured left, of Grand Rapids (East Grand Rapids) kicked it off with his first collegiate home run. 

Cable scored again on a pitching error by Albion, and Gardner scored when Brant Kym (Libertyville, Illinois/Libertyville HS) grounded out to shortstop. A wild pitch with Joey Merucci at bat brought Maday home. The Northville Township senior (Catholic Central HS) scored off of a throwing error at shortstop to end the inning.

Hope scored all of its runs after the fourth inning for Game 2, tallying six runs and eight hits for the game.

Cable, Kym, and Evan Becker each had one RBI, and Merucci contributed two. 

The Flying Dutchmen got on the board at the bottom of the fifth when Becker (Rochester/Stoney Creek HS) singled and advanced to third on an error by the pitcher, leading to a score by Barrett. Becker scored on an RBI by Cable.

Gardner walked and stole second to begin the bottom of the sixth inning. He scored when Kym grounded out to second base, also advancing Barrett to third and Maday to second. The two scored when Merucci singled to shortstop.

Merucci scored off of a walk by Albion to end the scoring for the Flying Dutchmen.

Senior Sean Howey (Holland/West Ottawa HS) recorded the save.