Coach Stu Fritz has filled out the Hope baseball scorecard over a thousand times during his 28 seasons at the helm of the Flying Dutchmen.

 

Friday's first contest of a home doubleheader had a feel to it like no other past game because the Flying Dutchmen were going after Fritz's 600th win.

 

And few games over all those seasons have ended more dramatically than this one. Playing into extra innings with the score tied 4-4, freshman Robbie Stuursma (Grand Rapids/East Grand Rapids) hit a no-doubt, two-out, walk-off home run over the centerfield fence for the 6-4 victory vs. Trine University and Fritz's milestone.

 

"I've been fortunate to coach so many great kids over the years," said Fritz. "This moment adds to those memories, and it was very special because I was at the hospital the day Robbie was born.

 

Fritz and Hope football coach Peter Stuursma were on the football coaching staff together late in the 1990s. Fritz was early in his baseball coaching career. Stuursma went on to a successful football coaching career at East Grand Rapids High School. He returned to Hope as head football coach in 2016.

 

Peter was among the first to give Fritz a big hug as Hope fans, albeit a small contingent because of COVID-related attendance restrictions, held up congratulatory signs for #600.

 

 

Hope extended its current winning streak to 11 in-a-row with a 4-1 victory in the nightcap.

 

After Friday's doubleheader the Flying Dutchmen are 601-450 under Fritz. The team improves to 22-13 overall and 14-8.

 

Hope will play in an eight-team, double-elimination MIAA Tournament next week beginning on Wednesday, May 12. Seedings and pod assignments are yet to be determined.

 

Hope is in third place in the MIAA standings behind Adrian (18-1) and Calvin (16-8).

 

In the opener the Flying Dutchmen got a solid complete-game pitching performance from Al Vasquez (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea). The Flying Dutchmen rallied from a fourth inning 4-1 deficit while Vasquez was holding the Thunder scoreless and hitless the last four innings. Vasquez improved to 6-3 on the season with his first complete game behind six strikeouts and no walks.

 

The eighth inning drama started with Nolan Gardner (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids) being hit by a pitch. Gardner moved to second on Evan Becker's (Rochester, Mich./Stoney Creek) sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a fielder's choice. But there were two outs. Stuursma, who had entered in the sixth inning as a pinch runner and stayed in the game as the designated player, hit the game-winner facing a 1-2 count.

 

Kainan Bayn (Zeeland, Mich./Zeeland East) and Brant Kym (Libertyville, Ill.,Libertyville) each had a pair of hits.

 

Three pitchers combined to throw the nightcap victory. Starter Max Gaishin (Stevensville/Lakeshore) pitched five innings to gain the win (3-2). He allowed seven hits while striking out two and walking one. Relievers Graham O'Gorman (Champaign, Ill./Champaign Central) and Sean Hoey (Holland, Mich./West Ottawa) held Trine to one hit over the final two innings. Hoey was credited with his third save. The pitching trio stranded 11 Trine baserunners

 

Seven Hope batters had a hit. Leadoff batter Spencer Cable (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville) drove-in two runs with a double. Bayn and Gardner also had doubles.