by Greg Chandler

All five members of the Hope College softball team's senior class made key contributions on Senior Day at Wolters Stadium Saturday afternoon as the Flying Dutch swept a doubleheader from Saint Mary's College to maintain sole possession of first place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association heading into the final week of regular season play.

The biggest performance of the day came from senior third baseman Bre Nolan of Metamora, Michigan (Lapeer HS), who celebrated her 22nd birthday by belting three extra-base hits, including her first home run of the season, and driving in five runs in the second game as Hope blanked the Belles, 8-0, in five innings to complete the sweep. The Flying Dutch won the opener, 7-1.

Hope improved to 11-1 in MIAA play and 22-8 overall with the sweep. The Flying Dutch remain one game ahead of Alma College and Trine University with four regular-season games remaining.

Photo by Tom Renner

Nolan and her fellow seniors – pitcher Chloe Haskins of Brighton, Michigan (Brighton), pitcher Avery Slancik of Scotts, Michigan (Vicksburg), first baseman Kaelin Callow of Plainfield, Illinois (Plainfield HS) and second baseman Arinn King of Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville) were honored in a ceremony prior to the doubleheader.

Nolan, who had driven in just four runs all season prior to Saturday, got Hope started in the nightcap with a double to left-center in the top of the third. Sophomore catcher Sydney Zombo of Clinton Township, Michigan (Fraser HS) followed with another double, scoring sophomore pinch-runner Kyra Acker of Eaton Rapids, Michigan (Eaton Rapids) for a 1-0 Flying Dutch lead.

An inning later, Nolan came to the plate with two on and two out. With two strikes on her, Nolan got a pitch from Saint Mary's righthander Libby Bierbaum that she liked, and crushed it over the left field fence – to where her uncle was standing at the foot of the scoreboard. The three-run homer broke the game open, giving Hope a 4-0 lead.

"In between games, my uncle said, 'I'm gonna go stand out there and you just hit it to me,'" Nolan said after the game.

In the fifth, Nolan delivered the final margin of victory with a two-run double to right-center that capped a four-run outburst. Hope then shut down the Belles in the bottom of the fifth to secure the run-rule victory.

"It's been a lot of work put in this season from the coaches working with me," Nolan said. "It felt really good to finally have it pay off."

Hope coach Mary VanderHoef was thrilled by Nolan's performance.

"When it's 1-0 and we're kind of struggling to find it at the plate, to get a little insurance so our defense could settle in, was so big," VanderHoef said. "The home run was obviously big to allow us to settle in. But then that second [double] to end it ... is just as significant a base hit, in my opinion, as the 1-0 game, because we could end it early. I consider that really timely, clutch hitting out of her. For her to have a day today was really good to see."

Hope's two senior pitchers shut down the Belles' bats, allowing just one run for the doubleheader. In game two, Haskins remained unbeaten for the season with her seventh consecutive win, scattering four hits over four innings, striking out three and walking two. She pitched out of a bases-loaded situation in the fourth with the score still at 4-0.

In the opening game, Slancik picked up her 20th career pitching victory, going the distance to improve her record this season to 8-6. Slancik allowed just five hits, did not walk a batter and struck out two.

"When you give up one run in a doubleheader, you win a lot of games," VanderHoef said. "They've been finding a good stride right now. We have a lot of confidence in each of our pitchers, and our defense does really great things behind them as well."

Slancik got some early support from the Hope offense in game one, as the Flying Dutch strung together four singles, a walk and two wild pitches to score four runs in the first inning. Callow singled in the first run, the start of a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with three RBIs in the first game.

Later in the inning, junior shortstop Cayley Ebeling of Shelby Township, Michigan (Utica) delivered a two-run single to give Hope a 4-0 lead.

Callow added RBI singles in the second and sixth innings, and sophomore center fielder Peyton Benjamin of Eaton Rapids, Michigan [Eaton Rapids HS] singled in another run in the sixth.

Hope finished with 21 hits for the doubleheader – 11 in the opener and 10 in the nightcap. Callow had four hits for the twinbill while Nolan had three. Zombo reached base five times in the doubleheader on three hits and two walks.

Junior designated player Lexi Potapczak of Naperville, Illinois (Benet Academy) reached base in each of her last four plate appearances for the day, including two doubles and a single. King reached base three times in the opener.

The Flying Dutch play their final home regular-season doubleheader on Wednesday, April 27, at Wolters Stadium against Albion College. First pitch is 3 p.m.