The Hope College softball team tallied a second sweep of opponents in as many days, taking down host Millikin University 9-4 and 8-0 on Saturday and boosting their season-best win streak to eight games.
The Flying Dutch are now 13-5 after also defeating Greenville University on Friday, 9-1 and 4-3, at Millikin.
Against Millikin, Hope set the tone immediately with a three-run first inning.
Senior Kate DeMann (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian HS) worked a leadoff walk then stole second, putting her in the perfect position to score on junior Terin Maynard's double down the left field line for the first run of the game. Maynard (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Jenison) then crossed home plate on a Gianna Kerschbaum double, again down the left side. Sophomore Becca Tuttle reached first on an error that also sent the senior, Kerschbaum, across home plate.
The Flying Dutch delivered again in the third with a four-run surge, giving them a 6-0 lead. Millikin chipped away with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth and sixth, but Hope answered with insurance in the seventh. Freshman Katie Hofman (Lowell, Michigan / Lowell) drove in Jalen Fossitt (Dimondale, Michigan / Leslie) and Kenadee Schnick (Jenison, Michigan / Jenison) in the top of the final inning, stretching the score margin back to five.
Hope's offense was paced by a balanced group of contributors, with freshman Emily Brown (Grass Lake, Michigan / Grass Lake) going 2-for-3. Kerschbaum (Baroda, Michigan / Stevensville-Lkeshore) added a strong performance of her own, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Maynard (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Jenison) chipped in with an RBI double and crossed the plate twice, while Hofman delivered a key two-run double as part of her 1-for-3 outing.
Junior Hailey Mellec (Commerce Township, Michigan / Walled Lake Northern) earned the win with four innings of work. The left-hander improved to 6-5, allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out seven.
Freshman Ryan Quain (St. Clair, Michigan / Marysville) handled the final three innings, giving up five hits and two runs while striking out two.
The nightcap belonged to Kerschbaum in the circle, who delivered a dominant complete-game shutout. The right-hander struck out 13, walked none, and stranded 10 Millikin runners while scattering eight hits to improve to 6-0 this season.
Hope's offense backed her early with a five-run second inning, the biggest frame of the day. Terin Maynard delivered the decisive swing, a three-run homer to right that capped the rally and put Hope firmly in command.
The Flying Dutch added single runs in the first, fifth, and seventh to finish with 14 hits in the finale.
Game two featured standout production throughout the lineup, led by Maynard, who went 2-for-4 and three RBIs. Sophomore Sophie Stironek (Lake Orion, Michigan / Lake Orion) added a three-hit, two-RBI performance, while DeMann continued her strong day with a 2-for-4 effort that included a triple and two runs scored. Sophomore Becca Tuttle (Grand Rapids, Michigan / West Catholic also contributed a two hits in the second win of the day.
Hope heads to Wisconsin next to take on Gustavus Adolphus College for a doubleheader on Friday, April 3, at 3 p.m. Central.
