by Mackenzie McMahon

Extra innings and a comeback rally are just a hint of how the second game of the doubleheader split with Alma College went for the Hope College softball team on Tuesday.  

The Flying Dutch defeated the Scots, 8-7 in 11 innings, in game two after falling 6-0 in game one. 

Hope is now 14-6 overall and 5-1 in conference play. 

"It was just such a whole team win, so many big moments, and Alaina going 7.2 innings with just three hits was really big," head coach Mary VandeHoef said.

Pictured, from left, Arinn King and Alaina Adams

In the 11th, Hope kept Alma off the board during the Scots' at-bat in the top of the inning.  Cayley Ebeling (Shelby Township, Michigan Utica HS) started on second with the international tiebreaker rule and advanced to third on a leadoff groundout to first by third baseman Bre Nolan (Metamora, Michigan Lapeer).

Ebeling scored on a one-out single to center by catcher Haley Bennett (Livonia, Michigan / Benjamin Franklin).

Both teams traded runs in the 10th. Hope answered right back as sophomore Vanessa Krombeen (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Calvin Christian) had a sacrifice fly to right. Emily Martin (Whitehall, Michigan / Whitehall) hustled home to tie the score at seven. 

Hope forced extra innings by scoring twice in the sixth and four times in the seventh.

Trailing 6-2 heading into potentially their final at-bat, Bennett, Grace Henry (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville), and Benjamin loaded the bases for the Flying Dutch with two singles and an error in the field to load the bases. Senior Arinn King (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) smashed a double to center field, clearing the bases to make it a 6-5 game. King then scored the tying run when Lexi Potapczak (Naperville, Illinois / Benet Academy) reached first base on a fielding error.

"Arinn just made a great adjustment from earlier at bat against that pitcher in game one and got a hold of it and cleared the bases with one swing, " said VandeHoef. "It was great."

The Flying Dutch scored their first runs of the day in the bottom of the sixth, as pinch hitter sophomore Sydney Zombo (Clinton Township, Michigan / Fraser HS) doubled to right field with two outs to knock home Potapczak and Peyton Benjamin (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids).

Alaina Adams stood tall in the circle for 7 2/3 innings, while allowing just three hits. The sophomore from Oak Creek, Wisconsin (St. Thomas More) recorded three strikeouts during her relief appearance and improved her record to 3-1.

Game one saw two hits for the Flying Dutch, both coming from the bat of Potapczack in her three at-bats. 

Alma is now 17-9 overall and 4-2 in MIAA play.

The Flying Dutch travel to Kalamazoo College on Thursday, April 14, for a doubleheader at 3 p.m.