The Hope College softball team brought home its first doubleheader sweep of the 2023 season on Monday afternoon, winning a makeup doubleheader at Defiance College (Ohio), 10-0 in five innings in Game 1 and 6-5 in Game 2.
The Flying Dutch are now 3-2 overall heading into their spring break trip that features 12 games with 11 different opponents in Florida.
Hope came through with two big innings against Defiance in Game 1: scoring three runs in the second inning and six more in the fourth.
In the second, junior Emily Martin, a Whitehall, Michigan (Whitehall) native, sent senior Lexi Potapczak (Naperville, Illinois / Benet Academy) and junior Peyton Benjamin (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids) in to score with a single up the middle to give Hope a 3-0 lead. Junior Grace Henry (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) was next at the plate, sending Martin home with her own single up the middle to finish the second inning scoring.
The fourth inning was a busy one. Senior Haley Bennett (Livonia, Michigan / Benjamin Franklin), freshman Kate DeMann (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian) and Potapczak all collected RBIs. Bennett collected three RBIs off a double to right field with bases loaded. Potapczak earned her two RBIs through a left field double, while DeMann sent home Potapczak on a rocket to center field that earned the infielder a double.
Sophomore Grace Connelly (Grandville, Michigan / Grandville) pitched a one-hit game for Hope in five innings, collecting seven strikeouts on 18 batters faced. It was Connelly's first of the season.
Martin, freshman Kennedi Pochmara (Clinton Township, Michigan / Chippewa Valley) and senior Cayley Ebeling (Shelby Township, Michigan / Utica) led the Flying Dutch with two hits apiece against Defiance in the matinee matchup, while Martin scored a team-high three runs.
In Game 2, Hope grabbed an early lead after two innings 1-0 after the Yellow Jackets walked in Bennett.
The lead increased to 3-1 as Hope stayed on top after a Potapczak double sent Bennett and Henry to cross home plate.
Defiance rallied for four hits after Hope sent in two runs in the top of the fourth, tying the game at five.
In the fifth, DeMann drew a two-out, bases loaded walk that walked in Bennett for the go-ahead run.
Junior Samantha Vermeesch (Ithaca, Michigan / Ithaca) pitched three innings of scoreless relief for Hope to collect the win, throwing six strikeouts and allowing just two hits after entering the circle in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Sophomore Lexie DeHoop (Hudsonville, Michigan / Unity Christian) had a team-high two hits, while Benjamin, Potapczak and DeMann each had two RBIs.
Hope heads to Florida for its next games on March 17-24.
