by Alan Babbitt

Caleb Regan made the most of his perhaps one pitch to hit in a bunting situation.

The Hope College catcher sparked a go-ahead rally for the Flying Dutchmen baseball team in an 8-6 victory against Calvin University on Thursday at Boeve Stadium.

Regan crushed a score-tying, two-run double in the fourth inning, then came home with the tie-breaking run two batters later. The junior from Grand Rapids, Michigan (Byron Center HS) also homered and matched his career-high with three RBIs.

Hope (22-7 overall, 13-3 MIAA) took the series opener and extended its lead in the league standings to 3 1/2 games. The two teams will play a doubleheader at Calvin on Friday, April 29, starting at 1 p.m.

Head coach Stu Fritz spoke with Regan before his clutch fourth-inning double tied the score at 5-5.

"We were in a bunting situation. We often tend to give guys one pitch," Fritz said. "If you can hunt your pitch, we'll let you go on it. Obviously, that worked out for us. We've asked him to do a lot for our program behind the plate. He's been a rock for us."

After Calvin grabbed a 5-2 lead with a five-run second, Regan belted his fifth home run of the season over the left-field fence — "absolutely smashed" Fritz said — and cut Hope's deficit to 5-3.

Regan stepped to the plate as the third batter in the fourth after senior first baseman Grant Barrett (Chelsea, Michigan / Chelsea) and junior second baseman Nolan Gardner (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids) led off with singles.

After doubling and upping his RBI total to 30, Regan scored from third on a one-out groundout by senior designated hitter Spencer Cable (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville).

Senior right fielder Kainan Bayn (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) capped the four-rally rally with a RBI single that scored senior center fielder Evan Maday (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Kentwood).

Maday's solo homer in the sixth extended the Flying Dutchmen's lead to 8-5.

Starting pitcher Sean Hoey overcame Calvin's five-hit, five-run second inning to raise his record to 7-0.

The senior right-hander from Holland, Michigan (West Ottawa) moved within one win of equaling the Hope record for wins in a single season. Hoey scattered 11 hits and six runs over 6 2/3 innings.

Relievers Matt Plaehn (Okemos, Michigan / Lansing Catholic) and Shane Hykin (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Northern) recorded the final seven outs for the Flying Dutchmen. Hykin retired four of the five batters he faced to earn his third save.