The Hope College softball team began their Wolters Stadium home opener with spring weather and an extra-innings, 6-5 win, and ended with a winter-weather loss to Franklin College on Thursday. 

Hope is now 12-7 overall after the split with Franklin. 

The Grizzlies struck early, with a homer in the second at bat which put the visitors up 2-0 with plenty of game remaining. 

Hope took control quickly following the two-run home run, with sophomore Grace Connelly (Grandville, Michigan / Grandville HS) retiring the next three batters consecutively to get out of the inning. 

The bats came alive in the bottom of the second inning for Hope, which collected five hits with three runs scored. 

Freshman Mya Spisz (Oxford, Michigan / Oxford) recorded a sacrifice fly with bases loaded to send in senior Cayley Ebeling. 

Junior Kyra Acker (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids) followed the Spisz RBI with a single to send home senior Haley Bennett, evening the score. 

Emily Martin, a junior from Whitehall, Michigan (Whitehall), soared a hit to right field to earn a single and send in the go-ahead run with Acker crossing the plate to score. 

Hope never trailed for the remainder of the game, but Franklin did tie the score two more times before the final out. 

The Grizzlies earned two runs in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at four and force extra innings. 

The Flying Dutch tallied the win after a walk-off single for senior Cayley Ebeling (Shelby Township, Michigan / Utica) sent Bennett to touch home plate. The infield single was one of Ebeling's team-high three hits. 

Connelly, now 7-3 this season, earned the win after standing tall in the circle for all nine innings, earning seven strikeouts and allowing just one walk through 115 pitches. 

The second game of the evening was also close until Franklin broke out for three runs in the top of the seventh to top Hope, 5-1. 

Junior Grace Henry (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) went perfect at the plate, picking up four hits in four at bats for a team-high. 

Junior Alaina Adams (Oak Creek, Wisconsin / St. Thomas More) tallied the loss in the circle for the Flying Dutch, despite slinging three strikeouts and recording no walks. 

Hope heads to the University of Chicago for a reschedule doubleheader matchup on Wednesday, April 5, with a 3 p.m. CT start.