by Alan Babbitt

The Hope College softball team turned two on Saturday and became champions.

The Flying Dutch defeated Trine University, 7-6 in eight innings, and 6-5 in seven innings, on Senior Day at Wolters Stadium to clinch a share of their sixth Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship. 

Both Hope and Trine finished with 14-2 league records. The Flying Dutch (23-9 overall) will learn their seed for next week's eight-team league tournament later this weekend.

"It was a really special day," head coach Mary Vande Hoef said. "Our team came in knowing that we had to win two to win a share; it's pretty incredible. To get great play from our team on Senior Day is just special. They've been resilient this whole year. Everyone kept on board and stayed with the process."

List of Hope's MIAA champions

A double play in Trine's last at-bat helped secure the sweep.

After committing a fielding error on the leadoff batter, Hope third baseman Bre Nolan (Metamora, Michigan / Lapeer HS) rebounded on the next batter to start a 5-4-3 double play. 

Second baseman Arinn King (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville), pictured right, made a quick turn at second base to fire in time to first baseman Kaelin Callow (Plainfield, Illinois / Plainfield).

Two batters later, reliever Alaina Adams (Oak Creek, Wisconsin / St. Thomas More) recorded the final out on a grounder to shortstop Savannah Dixon (Niles, Michigan / Edwardsburg).

"Double plays are rare in softball," Vande Hoef said. "That says a lot about Bre; it was a great play."

The Flying Dutch took a 5-4 lead in the fourth on a two-run homer from King. It was King's second home run of the doubleheader and the sixth of the season. The junior has homered in three consecutive games after also a leadoff home run in Game 1.

Hope added a run in the fifth on Megan Soderbloom's fourth home run of the season.

Soderbloom (Dowagiac, Michigan / Dowagiac) also smacked an RBI single in the first and scored on a double from catcher Morgann Kanouse (Cadillac, Michigan / Cadillac).

On the mound, Adams (5-2) earned the second of her two decisions in relief after scattering four hits and one run in 4 ⅓ innings.

In Game 1, the Flying Dutch won in extra innings after Trine hit solo home runs in the sixth and seven innings. The seventh-inning blast came with two outs.

In the bottom of the eighth, Hope center fielder Peyton Benjamin (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids), pictured left, led off with a double. King, the next batter, stroked a line drive to right field that the wind knocked down and allowed Benjamin to score with a walk-off win.

Adams, the Flying Dutch's third pitcher, tossed a scoreless eighth to claim the decision.

Hope grabbed a 6-4 lead with a three-run fifth that included an RBI single from Soderbloom and a two-out, two-single single from Kanouse. Soderbloom's team-leading 38 RBIs is the 11th most in team history.

"We got timely hitting from all parts of our lineup. Our offense responded today in big ways; you want that in the last part of the season," Vande Hoef said. "Our pitchers were so impressive; they just kept battling. They're going to scatter hits, but the key is not letting them have a big inning. They kept their hitters off-balance and really executed very well against a tough lineup. We're really proud of Megan, Avery (Slancik), and Alaina."