by Alan Babbitt

Chloe Haskins fired the 11th no-hitter in Hope College softball history and the first in five seasons on Monday in Clermont, Florida.

The senior from Brighton, Michigan (Brighton HS) struck out eight during an 8-0, five-inning victory against Wellesley College (Mass.).

Hope (4-4 overall) rebounded after losing, 4-3, to Wooster College (Ohio) in Monday's first game.

Photo by Chloe Haskins by Shannon Callow

Against Wellesley, Haskins only faced 17 batters — two over the minimum — as she hit one batter and another reached base on a first-inning fielding error.

"She had really good command, worked ahead in the count," head coach Mary VandeHoef said of Haskins. "She just found a really good rhythm. She never really let them get anything going."'

Hope's no-hit games

The Flying Dutch supported Haskins (3-0) by scoring twice in the first inning. Rightfielder Grace Henry (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) scored on a throwing error during a stolen-base attempt. Leftfielder Vanessa Krombeen (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Calvin Christian) doubled in first baseman Kaelin Callow (Plainfield, Illinois / Plainfield).

Henry slugged a two-run homer in the third, and Callow capped a four-run fourth with a two-run double.

Against Wooster, designated player Lexi Potapczak (Naperville, Illinois / Benet Academy) and shortstop Cayley Ebeling (Shelby Township, Michigan) each smacked RBI doubles for Hope.

Wooster scored three times in the bottom of fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Caydee Clark's RBI single stood up as a game-winner.

Hope's next games are Tuesday, March 22, in Clermont, Florida, against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at 9 a.m. and Wisconsin-Eau Claire at 11:30 a.m.