by Mackenzie McMahon

The Hope College softball team began their Florida game streak on Saturday, with the second set of double-header games of twelve this week. 

The Flying Dutch took on Tufts in game one on Saturday, with the Jumbos picking up the win, 6-0. Senior Avery Slancik (Scotts, Michigan / Vicksburg HS) was on the mound for Hope, pitching all seven innings. Slancik faced 34 batters and threw 46 strikes in 76 pitches and picked up five strikeouts. 

Sophomore Grace Henry (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) and junior Haley Bennett (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) led the way with two hits apiece, Henry in four at bats, Bennett in three at bats. Cayley Ebeling (Shelby Township, Michigan / Utica), Bre Nolan (Metamora, Michigan / Lapeer), and Peyton Benjamin (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids) each had a hit in the first-game loss. 

Game two brought in Benedictine (Ill.) to the plate for the Orange and Blue, where the Eagles took home the win, 4-2. 

Lexi Potapczak, pictured right, a junior from Naperville, Illinois (Benet Academy) sent a single homerun over the fence in the top of the sixth for her one hit and one scored run, also snagging two RBIs. Kyra Acker (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids) would score on the Potapczak homerun. Senior Kaelin Callow (Plainfield, Illinois / Plainfield) picked up two hits on three at bats in game two, while senior Arinn King (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) found a single hit in three at bats.

Callow would also have a team-high one stolen base. On the mound, sophomore Alaina Adams (Oak Creek, Wisconsin / St. Thomas More) moved to 1-1, after facing 17 batters and throwing 22 strikes on 39 pitches in 3.2 innings. Chloe Haskins (Brighton, Michigan / Brighton) had eight strikes on 17 pitches and eight batters for 2.1 innings. 

The Flying Dutch continue their Florida games on Monday, March 21, with two more opponents in Wooster College and Wellesley College at 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., respectively.