The Hope College softball team has continued its winning streak with two more wins against two more opponents on Monday in Kissimmee, Florida.
The Flying Dutch allowed only two runs in the two wins, taking down Fredonia State (N.Y.), 8-1, and Simpson College (Iowa), 4-1.
Hope has improved to 6-5 overall this season and 4-0 on its spring break trip.
In the first game of the day against Fredonia, the Flying Dutch used four consecutive run-scoring innings to jump to a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth.
The Blue Knights garnered their only run of the game in the bottom of the fourth, but freshman pitcher Hailey Mellec (Commerce Township, Michigan / Walled Lake Northern HS) denied any chance of a comeback, knocking off the Fredonia batters 1-2-3 during both the 5th and 7th innings.
Mellec (1-2) finished all seven innings for Hope, earning the win after allowing just three hits, and striking out 10.
Three Flying Dutch collected two hits against Fredonia: senior Emily Martin (Whitehall, Michigan / Whitehall), senior Peyton Benjamin (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids), and senior Sydney Zombo (Clinton Township, Michigan / Fraser ).
Against Simpson College, Hope soared to a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
Martin would cross the plate first for Hope after getting on base with a single and advancing to third after stealing both second and third base. Zombo knocked Martin home on a ground out to second.
Benjamin, who reached first on a Simpson College shortstop error, scored on a Kate DeMann (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian) single to round out the inning.
Hope gained two more runs, in the fourth and fifth innings, on a triple from senior Jennaka Bultman (Shawnee, Kansas / Shawnee Mission) that sent in freshman Eliana Ruhrup (Mattawan, Michigan / Mattawan) and from a Benjamin RBI single that scored sophomore Kennedi Pochmara (Clinton Township, Michigan / Chippewa Valley), bringing the score to 4-0.
Simpson College sent one over the fence for its only run of the game.
Senior Samantha Vermeesch (Ithaca, Michigan / Ithaca) allowed just three hits to earn Hope's second win of the day. Vermeesch (2-1), recorded five strikeouts.
Junior reliever Grace Connelly (Grandville, Michigan / Grandville) earned the save, her second of the season, striking out two of her nine batters faced, and allowed just one hit.
Martin led the balanced charge in game two with two hits, while six other Flying Dutch had one hit in the win.
Hope heads back to Clermont, Florida, on Tuesday, March 12, to face Lasell University and Springfield College at 1:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., respectively.
