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Hope College

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Shane Hykin throws a pitch to the plate.
Michael Wilson
Senior Shane Hykin, pictured
2
Trine TRINE 14-23
11
Winner Hope HOPE 19-17
Trine TRINE
14-23
2
Final
11
Hope HOPE
19-17
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Trine TRINE 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 0
Hope HOPE 0 1 4 0 1 3 0 2 X 11 18 0

W: Hykin, Shane (6-1) L: C. Nagel (3-7)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Alan Babbitt

Baseball Explodes For 11 Runs vs. Trine in Senior Day Victory

An 11-2, Senior Day victory on Thursday put the Hope College baseball team on the cusp of postseason play.

The Flying Dutchmen defeated visiting Trine University in the series opener at Boeve Stadium to reduce their magic number for a spot in the MIAA Tournament to one.

Hope needs either one victory from a doubleheader at Trine on Friday, May 5, at 1 p.m. or one Albion College loss during a three-game weekend series against Calvin University to secure at least a No. 4 seed in next week's MIAA Tournament.

With an 11-8 league record, the Flying Dutchmen are 2 ½ games ahead of Albion and Calvin. Hope holds the tiebreaker edge over Calvin after winning the season series, but Albion earned the tiebreaker against the Flying Dutchmen with a series victory.

After the game, head coach Stu Fritz honored seven seniors, including six student-athletes — Kainan Bayn, Spencer Cable, Shane Hykin, Eli Kane Dane Martin, and Caleb Regan — and one student-manager, Keaton Hamilton. Hamilton pitched for two seasons for the Flying Dutchmen before injuries ended his career prematurely.

"To have this year not quite go how we thought it might go early on but have them play well late is a tribute to them — their resiliency and leadership. It's a great group of kids," Fritz said. "The biggest thing I can point to is our culture. I always think that culture and talent, with time, usually right itself. I think we're starting to see that a little bit. I think that's a tribute to those seniors from what's happened in the weight room, the classroom and on the field."

Two seniors played pivotal roles in the Flying Dutchmen raising their record to 19-17 overall and 11-8 in MIAA play: Hykin, the starting pitcher, and Cable, the cleanup hitter.

Hykin (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Northern) earned the win by going six innings and allowing just two second-inning runs. 

The right-hander struck out nine over 100 pitches while giving up five hits and two walks. Hykin is now 6-1 for the season, a career-high for wins.

Three relievers, including two seniors in Martin and Kane, each tossed scoreless innings.

The Flying Dutchmen collected 18 hits.

Cable (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. In the fifth, Cable hit a solo homer — his third of the season and the 12th of his Hope career.

Center fielder Robbie Stuursma (East Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids) also went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. The junior blasted a go-ahead, two-run homer in the third inning that gave the Flying Dutchmen a 3-2 lead.

It was Stuursma's third home run of the season and the eighth of his career.

Hope added two more runs in the third. Senior Nolan Gardner (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids) singled home senior right fielder Kainan Bayn (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East), then scored on a single from junior shortstop Devin Meeuwsen (Rockford, Michigan / Grand Rapids Christian).

 
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