by Alan Babbitt

Sean Hoey and Owen Krizan were dealing on the mound.

Designated hitter Spencer Cable, shortstop Brant Kym, and right fielder Kainan Bayn made sure they had ample run support.

The Hope College baseball team opened the 2022 season with a 5-0, nine-inning victory against Transylvania University (Ky.) and a 16-5, seven-inning victory against Manchester College (Ind.) on Saturday at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.

The Flying Dutchmen's starting pitchers combined for 21 strikeouts in 12 ⅔ innings.

Against Transylvania, Hoey, pictured right, struck out 12 in 7 ⅔ innings. The senior righthander from Holland, Michigan (West Ottawa HS) yielded only two hits and didn't walk a batter.

Cable (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) opened the scoring with a second-inning sacrifice fly that knocked in Grant Barrett.

In the fourth, Cable pushed the lead to 3-0 with an RBI triple that plated Al Money. Cable later scored in the inning.

Kym (Libertyville, Illinois / Libertyville) went 3-5 with an RBI triple.

Against Manchester, Krizan, pictured right, scattered two hits and one run over five innings. The sophomore righthander from Grand Haven, Michigan (Grand Haven) struck out nine and did not walk a batter.

Hope delivered three runs in the first, third and fourth innings for a 9-1 lead.

Bayn finished 4-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored. The senior from Zeeland, Michigan (Zeeland East) delivered two RBI singles and a two-run single.

Kym went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Hope's cleanup hitter had a run-scoring single and an RBI double.

Cable went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. 

Hope is next scheduled to play on Friday, Saturday, March 4-5 with a three-gam4 series at Franklin College (Ind.).