The Hope College softball team returned to Parkview Field on Thursday in Angola, Indiana with an opportunity to advance in the MIAA Tournament.
The Orange and Blue responded with a strong outing against third-seeded Alma College in the opener with a 10-2 in, but fell 10-1 to second-seeded Calvin University in the second contest of the day. The loss marked Hope's second loss of the tournament, concluding their play, and the 2026 campaign.
Hope (28-13) opened the day with a commanding, complete performance, using a six-run fourth inning to break open what had been a tight 2–2 game.
The Flying Dutch struck first in the third when junior Terin Maynard (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Jenison HS) and senior Kate DeMann (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian) delivered back-to-back RBI hits after an Alma error extended the inning.
Alma briefly tied the game in the top of the fourth, but Hope immediately answered with an offensive surge that defined the contest.
In that decisive fourth inning, Hope strung together six hits, including an RBI single from sophomore Becca Tuttle (Grand Rapids, Michigan / West Catholic), a bunt single from junior Kenadee Schnick (Jenison, Michigan / Jenison), and a three-run triple crushed to right-center by freshman Emily Brown (Grass Lake, Michigan / Grass Lake). DeMann added another RBI single to cap the rally, giving Hope an 8–2 lead.
The Flying Dutch tacked on two more in the sixth, and the pitching staff handled the rest. Junior Hailey Mellec (Commerce Township, Michigan / Walled Lake Northern) opened with two scoreless innings, striking out three, before senior Gianna Kerschbaum (Baroda, Michigan / Stevensville-Lakeshore) took over and earned the win with four innings of five-hit, two-run work and five strikeouts.
Maynard sparked the offense with a 2-for-4, three-run performance and an RBI. Brown drove in three on her fourth-inning triple, while DeMann delivered a 3-for-4 day with three RBI and a stolen base.
Sophomore Jalen Fossitt (Onondaga, Michigan / Leslie) added two hits, and junior Macy Verbeek (Grandville, Michigan / Calvin Christian), Tuttle, and Schnick each contributed key hits in the fourth-inning breakout. In the circle, Mellec and Kerschbaum combined for eight strikeouts and allowed just two earned runs.
Facing Calvin in an elimination matchup, Hope fell behind early as the Knights opened the game with a five-run first inning, powered by a double, another double, and a two-run homer. Calvin added one in the second and four more in the third to build a 10–1 lead.
Hope's lone run came in the bottom of the first when Maynard tripled to right and scored on an RBI single from Kerschbaum. The Flying Dutch continued to put runners on base, collecting seven hits overall, but could not string together the sustained offense needed to climb back.
In relief, Mellec and freshman Sydney Bode (Ballwin, Missouri / Marquette) combined for five innings, allowing just one run over the final two frames.
Maynard again led the way, going 2-for-3 with a leadoff triple and the team's only run scored. Kerschbaum added two hits and the lone RBI, while Brown and DeMann each recorded singles, while Schnick added a bunt single to the mix.
