A tight finish and a runaway win defined the Hope College softball team's Friday sweep in Decatur, Illinois, where the Flying Dutch edged Greenville University 4–3, after rolling to a 9–1 victory in the opener at Milikin University.

Hope improved to 11–5 on the season while extending its season-high win streak to six games.

In game two, Hope fell behind early after Greenville plated two runs in the first inning. The Flying Dutch methodically worked their way back into the game with scoring in each of the final three frames. 

The breakthrough began in the fifth when senior Gianna Kerschbaum (Baroda, Michigan / Stevensville-Lakeshore HS) stepped into the box with bases loaded, drawing a walk anf putting Hope on the board, cutting the deficit to 2–1. 

Greenville scored in the bottom of the fifth before senior Kate DeMann (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian) delivered the biggest swing of the game.

DeMann lined a two-run single to right that sent home Sophie Stironek (Lake Orion, Michigan / Lake Orion) and Jalen Fossitt (Onondaga, Michigan / Leslie), putting Hope and Greenville even at three a piece. 

The Orange and Blue momentum continued in the seventh when junior Terin Maynard (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Jenison) drew a leadoff walk to put the go-ahead run on base. Sophomore Becca Tuttle (Grand Rapids, Michigan / West Catholic) then punched a clutch RBI double to right center, giving Hope their first lead of the game. 

Kerschbaum retired all three batters in the bottom of the seventh to secure the victory.

Junior Macy Verbeek (Grandville, Michigan / Calvin Christian) anchored the offense with a 3-for-4 performance behind the plate, while DeMann, Tuttle, and Kerschbaum combined to drive in all four Hope runs. 

In the circle, freshman Sydney Bode (Ballwin, Missouri / Marquette) opened the game with 3.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits. Kerschbaum notched the win with 4.0 innings of sharp relief, giving up just one run on three hits while striking out four.

In game one, belonged to Hope from the first pitch, as the Flying Dutch exploded for three runs in the first inning and never looked back. 

After adding a single run in the third thanks to a Maynard homer, Hope put up another three runs in the fourth. Tuttle sent out her fourth home run of the season to start the fourth inning surge, while Kenadee Schnick and freshman Emily Brown (Grass Lake, Michigan / Grass Lake) entered the big hit chat, with Schnick blasting out a triple down the right field line, and Brown finding open area through the left side to each tally single RBIs. 

Hope found a ninth run the bottom of the fifth to end game one early, and on their terms.

Maynard topped Hope with two hits and two RBIs, while Brown, Kerschbaum, Tuttle, Verbeek, Schnick and Fossitt all tallied a single hit in the win. 

The pitching belonged entirely to junior Hailey Mellec (Commerce Township, Michigan / Walled Lake Northern), who allowed just two hits, striking out 12 and allowing no earned runs across five innings.

Hope is back on the field on Saturday, March 28, at noon Central against Millikin in a doubleheader.