The Hope College softball team remained unbeaten in league play after back-to-back come-from-behind wins on Saturday.
The MIAA-leading Flying Dutch topped Albion twice at Wolters Softball Stadium, 8-6 and 5-3, to move to 4-0 in MIAA play.
Hope (18-9 overall) is one game ahead of four teams with 4-2 league records: Adrian College, Alma College, Saint Mary's College and top-ranked Trine University.
"I think the biggest thing [today] was keeping our energy up, even when we were chasing the three runs in both games," said head coach Michelle Brander Metiva. "We never panicked or started to press in the batter's box. I felt like the girls still really had good discipline with their bats."
In Game 1, Hope jumped to a 3-0 lead before Albion capitalized on a three-run error to spark a five-run rally. In the fourth, the Britons padded their lead with an RBI single, their only hit in the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, sophomore Kate DeMann (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian HS) started the comeback with a double to left field to send senior Peyton Benjamin (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids) in to score.
Freshman Sophie Stironek (Lake Orion, Michigan / Lake Orion) joined in, sending a two-run single to left field and evening the score at 6-6. Junior Mady Pahl (Beaverton, Michigan / Beaverton) and DeMann scored for Hope.
Hope picked up three more hits and two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to take back the lead.
Benjamin rocked a double to left field that sent in senior Kyra Acker (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids), before DeMann grabbed her third hit and third RBI of the game on a single to right field that scored Benjamin for the go-ahead run.
Relief pitcher senior Alaina Adams (Oak Creek, Wisconsin / St. Thomas More) blanked the Brits the remaining three innings to pick up the win.
Adams (5-0) worked through four innings and allowed just one hit after facing 14 batters.
Pahl successfully stole a game-high three bases in the win.
In Game 2, Albion jumped ahead early, taking charge in the bottom of the first. The Brits capitalized on three hits and two walks to gain a 3-0 lead.
After two scoreless innings from both teams, Hope rallied with two outs in the top of the fourth inning, sending out three hits to pull within one run.
Pahl sent home sophomore Kennedi Pochmara (Clinton Township, Michigan / Chippewa Valley) on a single to second base, and Stironek rocketed a hit to left field to send home Pahl.
Senior Grace Henry (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) came off the bench and sent a hit to left field, scoring Stironek for the game-tying run.
In the top of the seventh, Emily Martin (Whitehall, Michigan / Whitehall) smacked a hit to right field. The speedy senior earned extra bases after an error by the right fielder. Martin touched all the bases in fashion and slid into home, uncontested, for the ultimately winning run.
Freshman Lily Iden (Oxford, Michigan / Oxford) and freshman Eliana Ruhrup (Mattawan, Michigan / Mattawan) each picked up hits for two more runs, to complete Hope's five unanswered run comeback win.
Adams, in relief for the second time of the day, sent three of four batters packing to keep Hope's lead through the last half inning. It was Adams' second save of the season.
Junior Grace Connelly (5-1), who picked up the win in game two, scattered five hits over six innings of work. Connelly (Grandville, Michigan / Grandville) struck out seven Brits batters.
Stironek went 3-for-3 in game two, with one RBI. Ruhrup collected two hits and one RBI.
"We're excited that we're coming out and playing good ball right now. We know the heart of our conference is coming up, we know we have to show up, and we can't take a play off, a bat, or a pitch," said Brander. "We just have to keep playing clean and that's just going to be the goal, just play our game and focus on what we have to do and see what happens."
Hope is back in action at home on Wednesday, April 17, at 3 p.m. with a doubleheader against Adrian College at Wolters Softball Stadium.
