CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 6, 2005
SOFTBALL
ALMA * Calvin closed out its MIAA Tournament run with a 3-2 loss to nationally-ranked Alma Friday afternoon in the MIAA Tournament Championship game. With the win, Alma (29-8) captures the overall MIAA crown after also winning the regular season title. Calvin (25-13) finishes second in the final MIAA standings with Hope third and Olivet fourth.
Calvin opened the day with a 5-3 victory over Hope in the loser's bracket finals, advancing to its -first MIAA Tournament Championship game since 1999. Calvin collected 11 hits in the victory over Hope (28-11) with junior Jeanne Cole (Mason County Eastern HS) going 3-for-4 at the plate and scoring a pair of runs.
Senior Abby Konyndyk (Grand Rapids Christian HS) put the Knights on the board with a two-run homer to right in the top of the first. The home run was her team-leading 10th of the year. Hope answered with three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-2 lead but Calvin came back with two runs in the third and one in the fourth. Konyndyk drove in one run in the third on a fielders' choice and junior Laurel Sands (Rockford HS) delivered an RBI double in the fourth.
Meanwhile, sophomore Ruth Anna Spooner (Twin Falls, ID) came on in relief of senior starter Rachelle Heyboer (Fremont HS) and tossed five shutout innings, striking out four and walking none. Spooner (8-1) picked up the victory in relief of Heyboer with Kelsey Guisburt (14-5) taking the loss for Hope.
In the championship tilt against Alma, Cole led off the game with a single and moved all the way to third base on a sacrifice bunt by senior Angie Sietsema (Grandville HS) when third base was left untended. With Alma's catcher leaving the plate to cover third base late, Cole raced home before the play could be called dead, giving the Knights a stunning 1-0 lead.
Alma answered back with two runs in the bottom of the second with freshman shortstop Amy Gaudard ripping an RBI double and freshman Missy Morcam following with an RBI single.
Calvin continued to threaten throughout the game but did not score again. The Knights placed runners in scoring position in the third, fourth and fifth innings but could not deliver the tying run.
Senior Kara VanKooten (Anchorage, AK) took the loss for Calvin to fall to 11-8 on the year. Spooner again came on in relief and tossed five shutout innings of release, lowering her season earned run average to 0.52. Leigh Ann La Fave (13-2) picked up the victory for the Scots.
Calvin outhit Alma 8-5 in the loss with Cole collecting three more hits as she finished the day with six hits in eight trips to the plate. Cole's batting performance lifted her final season batting average to a sizzling .425. Cole also completed the season with 37 runs scored, breaking the 17-year old record of 34 runs established by Laurie Hiemstra in 1988. In collecting three RBI's in the win over Hope, Konyndyk also closed out the year with 38 RBI's, breaking the previous Calvin record of 35 set by Holly Ondersma in 1995.
Calvin's final season total of 25 victories was its highest since 1997 when the Knights finished with a 28-13 record.
FINAL MIAA SOFTBALL STANDINGS
1. Alma
2. Calvin
3. Hope
4. Olivet
5. Tri-State
6. Adrian and Albion
8. Kalamazoo and St. Mary's
BASEBALL
ALBION -- Calvin and Albion closed out the season with a doubleheader split at Albion, falling in the opener 3-1 but coming back to win the nightcap 8-2. With the split, Calvin assures itself of at least a tie for third place in the MIAA standings as only Olivet can catch the Knights. Calvin closes the year with an overall mark of 14-20 and a league record of 12-9, a six-game improvement over its 2004 MIAA record.
In game one, Albion scored in the bottom of the first inning. Junion
Rich Engelmann doubled down the right field line. With one out, senior Chris Trott singled to right field; Engelmann advanced to third. Senior Nate Hawley filed out to right
field on a sacrifice fly, and Engelmann scored.
Albion scored again in the second inning. Sophomore Tim Gough singled to second base
stole second and scored on a two-out single by junior Chris Terry.
Albion didn't score again until the bottom of the fifth. Terry singled
up the middle. Engelmann grounded out to the pitcher on a sacrifice
bunt and Terry advanced to second. With two outs, Trott singled to left and Terry scored.
Calvin scored its only run of the game in the top of the seventh inning.
Senior Jim Deters (Portage/Kalamazoo Christian) singled to left center
and sophomore Brian Brummel (Byron Center/South Christian) pinch ran
for Deters. Junior Mark Asma (Portage/Kalamazoo Christian) singled to
right field; Brummel advanced to second. Junior Mark Tigchelaar (Grand
Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian) reached on a fielding error by the
shortstop; Asma advanced to second and Brummel scored. Junior Mark Aggen
(Evergreen Park, IL/Evergreen Park Community) reached on a fielder's
choice bunt; Tigchelaar advanced to second; Asma was out at third.
Junior Tyler Van Eps (Denver, Co./Denver Christian) grounded into
double play, shortstop to first base. Aggen was also called out on the
play. The Knights retired with one run, two hits, one error, and one
runner left on base.
Junior Jory Trim (Grand Rapids/Creston), 3-6, took the loss for the
Knights. Senior Dave Seales, 4-4 was the winning pitcher for Albion.
In game one, the Knights had 1 run, eight hits, and one error. Albion
had three runs on seven hits and one error.
In game two, Calvin got off to an early lead with a run in the top of the third.
Asma ignited the rallied with a one-out single and moved to second on a single by Aggen singled to right field. Van Eps then doubled down the left field line to score Asma.
Albion (10-11 MIAA) answered with a run in the bottom of the third inning as Seales reached on a fielding error by the left fielder and advanced to second. Hawley was hit by a
pitch. Sophomore Bryan Smith singled to right field; Hawley advanced
to second and Seales scored.
Calvin retook the lead in the top of the fourth with a two-out rally of its own. Junior Kyle
Hollemans (Kentwood/Ease Kentwood) reached on a two-out throwing error by the
shortstop. Deters singled to center field; Hollemans advanced to
second and then third on a fielding error by the centerfielder. Asma
walked, loading the bases. Tigchelaar and Aggen then delivered back-to-back RBI singles that brought in three runs.
In the fifth inning, Caudle doubled down the left field line and later scored on an infield error.
In the bottom of the fifth, Trott hit a home run to right field to close the margin to three runs but Calvin tacked on three runs in the top of the seventh as Hollemans delivered an RBI single and Tigchelaar a two-run RBI double.
Snoeyink (1-2) went the distance for Calvin to pick up the win, striking out seven and walking just one. John Fileccia (5-4), took the loss for Albion.
The Knights scored eight runs on 12 hits and had one error. Albion scored two runs on five hits and had four errors.
MIAA BASEBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 5-6-05
Adrian 13-5
Hope 13-6
Calvin 12-9
Olivet 10-9
Albion 10-11
Alma 9-12
Tri-State 6-12
Kalamazoo 6-15
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Fri May 6 21:31:14 2005
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