by Alan Babbitt

Kaelin Callow's three-run homer in her first at-bat propelled the Hope College softball team to a split of a non-league doubleheader at Manchester University (Ind.) on Saturday.

The Flying Dutch won Game 1, 6-3, but lost Game 2, 8-7 in eight innings. 

Hope is now 18-8 on the season.

In Game 1, Callow (Brighton, Michigan / Brighton), pictured right, staked the Flying Dutch to a 3-0 in the top of the first by slugging her fourth home run of the season to left field. The blast plated sophomore Grace Henry (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville), who led with a double, and senior Arinn King (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville), who smacked a one-out double.

Senior Bre Nolan (Metamora, Michigan / Lapeer) extended the Flying Dutch's lead to 4-0 in the second with an RBI single.

Sophomore Vanessa Krombeen (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Calvin Christian) added RBI singles in the third and seventh.

Callow went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Krombeen and designated player Lexi Potapcazk (Naperville, Illinois / Benet Academy) each had three hits as well. The Flying Dutch finished with 16 hits.

Winning pitcher Alaina Adams, pictured, scattered nine hits and three runs over 5 1/3 innings. The sophomore from Oak Creek, Wisconsin (St. Thomas More) struck out four and walked one while improving to 5-1.

Senior Avery Slancik (Scotts, Michigan / Vicksburg) retired all five batters she faced for her first save of the season.

In Game 2, Hope build a 5-1 lead before Manchester took a 6-5 lead with a five-run sixth. The Flying Dutch forced extra innings with a Potapczak RBI single in the top of the seventh, but Manchester delivered an Izzy Detmar one-out, walk off single in the eighth.

King and Potapczak each finished two hits for the Flying Dutch. Potapczak singled home Callow in a two-run first after Callow's RBI double.

In a three-run fourth, junior Cayley Ebeling (Shelby Township, Michigan / Utica) hit a solo blast — her third home run of the season — before sophomore Peyton Benjamin (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids) smacked a two-run double.

Hope returns to action on Monday, April 18, at 1 p.m. with a non-league doubleheader at Anderson University (Ind.).