The Hope College softball team delivered clutch performances when it mattered most. 

With the season on the line, the Flying Dutch swept Calvin University in thrilling fashion on Saturday afternoon, winning at Wolters Softball Stadium, 3-2 in 10 innings and 1-0 in seven, to punch their ticket to next week's MIAA Tournament. 

It was Hope's second sweep of the MIAA season and the Flying Dutch's first since the opener against The University of Olivet on April 9 at home.

Hope (21-15, 9-7 MIAA) finished in a three-way tie for third place with Calvin and Kalamazoo College but won the first tiebreaker to advance to the league tournament for the second consecutive season. The tournament seeding will be announced on Sunday, May 4. 

In the opener, the Flying Dutch struck first, as freshman Jalen Fossitt (Onondaga, Michigan / Leslie HS) delivered an infield single that plated sophomore Terin Maynard (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Jenison) from third. 

Calvin (22-16, 9-7 MIAA) briefly took the lead with two runs in the fifth, but Hope responded immediately. 

Fossitt once again came through, sending an RBI single into right field in the bottom half of the inning to score senior Mady Pahl (Beaverton, Michigan / Beaverton), tying the game at 2-2.

Still locked after nine innings, the international tiebreaker rule placed sophomore Sophie Stironek (Lake Orion, Michigan / Lake Orion) on second in the bottom of the 10th after Calvin failed to scored.

Junior Gianna Kerschbaum (Baroda, Michigan / Stevensville Lakeshore) laid down a textbook bunt to push Stironek to third. Then, with the game on the line, Fossitt executed a perfectly placed suicide squeeze, allowing Stironek to slide home safely.

Head coach Michelle Brander-Metiva said the Flying Dutch absolutely had to try the squeeze play. 

"It is the best play in this game," Brander-Metiva said. "Our team executed it so well, so all credit goes to them."

Kerschbaum held strong in the circle, pitching all 10  innings, allowing just five hits.

In game two, Hope completed the sweep with dominant defense and another clutch moment.

In the third inning, Stironek crushed a triple to the warning track, setting the stage for Hope's decisive run. Fossitt put the ball in play, and as Calvin's right fielder misplayed the pop-up, Stironek charged home to score for the second time in the series.

Hope's defense refused to break, anchored by sophomore Hailey Mellec's (Commerce Township, Michigan / Walled Lake Northern) stellar pitching performance. Mellec scattered five hits over seven shutout innings, striking out five to secure her 10th win of the season.