by Alan Babbitt

Al Vasquez is making his pitch to enjoy every fleeting moment with the Hope College baseball team. The senior knows how precious time on the mound is after facing significant adversity.

Vasquez, pictured at right, won his fourth consecutive start on Thursday, hurling the Flying Dutchmen to a 6-1 victory against Calvin University on Thursday in the MIAA Tournament at Boeve Stadium. 

Hope (24-13 overall) advanced to the Pod B championship game on Friday, May 14 at 12 p.m. The second-seeded Flying Dutchmen will host Albion College, which rallied from 6-0 deficits in back-to-back, elimination games for a 9-6, extra-inning victory against Trine University and an 8-6 victory against Calvin.

One win against the sixth-seeded Britons (13-26) on Friday will send Hope to next week's MIAA Tournament championship series. The Flying Dutchmen are on a 13-game winning streak.

"We haven't been in a position in a while where we win the first two and have the afternoon off," head coach Stu Fritz said. "We're super happy with the outcome."

Fritz is thrilled for Vasquez (Chelsea, Michigan / Chelsea HS) as well.

After missing two seasons because of Tommy John surgery on his elbow, Vasquez is excelling. The right-hander improved his record this season to 7-3 and moved within one of the school record for victories in a season.

Vasquez scattered four hits and one run over six innings. He struck out three and walked one. Reliever Sean Hoey (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) shut out Calvin over the final three innings for his fourth save.

Now, Vasquez trails only Adam Clements (2012), Nate De Visser (2001), and Dick Nordstrom (1970) for single-season pitching victories.

"Al's been through a lot in his career. Nobody has worked harder at his body than him," Fritz said. "To reap the benefits that down the stretch of his senior year is incredibly rewarding. He's gaining confidence every single time he pitches. He's doing as well as I've seen him throw."

Vasquez is relishing the opportunities to be with and help his team.

"It's been a really long three years since I came here and had my surgery," said Vasquez, who played at Michigan State University as a freshman, then transferred to Hope. "The motivation has always been the guys around me. These are great guys you want to play with. They made it easier to do the little things that nobody wants to do."

The Flying Dutchmen supported Vasquez with two home runs and nine hits.

Center fielder Evan Maday, pictured at left, opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the fourth. The senior from Grand Rapids, Michigan (East Kentwood HS) homered for the second consecutive game and for the eighth time this season, a career-high. 

Maday became the ninth member of the Flying Dutchmen to homer at least eight times this season. He is tied with teammate Ted Eppinga, who hit eight home runs during the 2019 season.

First baseman Grant Barrett, pictured at right, then started a four-run fifth with a two-run blast. The junior from Chelsea, Michigan (Chelsea) slugged his first collegiate homer.

Right fielder Spencer Cable (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) capped the rally with a two-run single.

Maday drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh for his 37th RBI of the season. Maday tied Dan Jacobs (1990) for 10th place on the single-season RBI list at Hope.