CSR (Calvin Sports Report for April 18, 2007)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR APRIL 18, 2007

Baseball Takes Two From Olivet;
Softball Sweeps Kalamazoo;
Track and Field Teams Have Mixed Results at Hope

BASEBALL
Calvin 9, Olivet 8
Calvin 3, Olivet 0

GRAND RAPIDS - The Knights walked away from a dreary afternoon of baseball
with a pair of victories over Olivet College. Calvin rallied from an eight run
deficit in the first game and then never trailed in the second game as it
improved its overall record to 10-16 and 10-8 in the MIAA. The victories kept
Calvin alive in the race to finish third in the conference.

The Knights had a shaky start to the first game in which Olivet jumped ahead
in the first inning scoring two runs off two costly Calvin errors. Two more
errors by the Knights led to another pair of Olivet runs in the third inning
and after four and a half innings of play, Olivet had a commanding 8-0 lead.

While struggling on defense, the Knights also struggled on offense. David
Pembroke pitched for Olivet and shut down the first seven Calvin batters and
didn't surrender a hit until the fourth inning.

But in the bottom of the fifth, Calvin came to life. Zach Van Dyke (Lombard,
IL/Timothy Christian) led off the inning with a walk and Jacob Vriesman
(Denver, CO/Denver Christian) tallied Calvin's second hit of the game. Then
with the bases loaded, freshman Matt Schepel (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids
Christian) doubled to right center knocking in three runs. With two outs,
Chris Blacklidge (Comstock Park/Comstock Park) singled to score Schepel and
later scored a run off of an Eric Boer (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian)
single. After five, the Knights were only down 8-5.

Calvin's offense attacked again in the sixth when Jason May (Chicago/Walther
Lutheran) started the inning with a pinch hit infield single. After a walk and
a hit batter, Schepel walked to knock in his fourth run of the game. Kyle
Fletcher (Fort Wayne, IN/Concordia Lutheran) came up with a sacrifice fly and
then Alex Marcus (Willmar, MN/Willmar Sr.) came in to score off a wild pitch
and tied the game at 8 runs apiece.

The Knights held Olivet in the top of the seventh and came into the bottom of
the last inning with a chance to steal a game that Olivet had controlled early
on. It took a two out rally for it to happen when Vriesman singled to right
field and on a hit and run play, Nick Caudle (Grandville/Calvin Christian)
reached on an error that sent Vriesman all the way to third. Then Marcus,
facing an 0-2 count, knocked in the winning run as he singled to left field.

Andy Draayer (Denver, CO/Denver Christian), who got the no decision, started
at pitcher for the Knights and went four innings allowing six hits and six runs
but only two of them earned. Scott Larsen (Hastings/Hastings) finished the
game pitching three innings and collected the win improving his record to 1-2.
He allowed two runs off of five hits. Steve Oginksy for Olivet picked up the
loss.

In game two action, it was the Knights who scored first. Caudle collected his
first hit of the afternoon and then came around to score when Marcus lined one
to left field. Calvin's only other two runs and the only other runs of the
game came in the third. Kyle Gurzynski (Ludington/Ludington) led the inning
off with a bunt single and then scored off a sacrifice fly by Marcus. Schepel
then knocked in his fifth RBI of the day when he singled to left center scoring
Caudle.

Crisp defense and a complete game effort from Nate Pocock (Wayland,
MA/Wayland) kept the Knights in the lead and never let Olivet threaten. It was
Pocock's fourth complete game of the season and he improved his record to 2-3
as he allowed only two hits while collecting five strikeouts. Matt Emery for
Olivet suffered the loss.

Calvin returns to action on Saturday when it will travel to Olivet for a
second matchup and doubleheader slated to begin at 1:00 in the afternoon.

MIAA BASEBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 4-18-07

Adrian 12-4
Hope 11-5
Albion 10-8
Calvin 10-8
Tri-State 8-8
Kalamazoo 5-11
Olivet 4-11
Alma 3-8

SOFTBALL
Calvin 7, Kalamazoo 1
Calvin 9, Kalamazoo 1

KALAMAZOO – Calvin swept a doubleheader at Kalamazoo to up its overall
record to 8-10 and its MIAA mark to 4-2. Calvin took the opener 7-1 and then
won the nightcap 9-1 in a game shortened to five innings.

In the opener, Calvin scored three runs in the second, two in the fourth and
three in the seventh to give freshman starter Leah VanEnk (Kalamazoo Christian
HS) all the run support she would need. VanEnk struck out three and walked
three while scattering five hits. Senior Erin Conrad (Calvin Christian HS) and
junior Sam Ehlert (Rockford HS) had two hits apiece for the Knights. Sophomore
Loren Scarbrough (Antioch, IL) and freshman Kelly Malling (Lowell HS) both had
two RBI.

In game two, Calvin scored three times in the first and four times in the
third to blow the game open. Conrad, senior Cori VanKoevering (Unity Christian
HS), Scarbrough and freshman Amy Johnson (Northpointe Christian HS) all had two
hits apiece. Sophomore Kristin Folkerts (Grand Rapids Christian HS) got the win
to up her record to 2-4 on the year. Folkerts scattered seven hits and struck
out six and walked none.

Calvin returns to action on Thursday when it travels to Tri-State for a
doubleheader slated to start at 3:30 p.m.

MIAA SOFTBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 4-18-07

Alma 8-0
Hope 6-0
Tri-State 5-1
Calvin 4-2
Adrian 4-3
Olivet 3-6
Albion 2-6
Saint Mary’s 1-5
Kalamazoo 0-10

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

HOLLAND – Hope picked up its first dual meet victory over Calvin in men’s
track and field since 1985, edging the Knights 99-92 on Wednesday at the Buys
Athletic Complex, snapping a streak of 21 dual meet victories by Calvin over
the Flying Dutchmen. Hope’s last victory over Calvin came in 1985 with the
Flying Dutchmen defeating the Knights 98-94. Calvin did defeat Olivet on the
men’s side, 127-48. The Knights are now 2-1-1 in MIAA dual meet action.

On the women’s side, Calvin stretched its MIAA dual meet win streak to 87,
dating all the way back to 1989, with victories over Hope and Olivet. Calvin
defeated Hope 108.5-to-73.5 and Olivet 131-32. The Knights are now 4-0 in MIAA
dual meet action.

On the men’s side, Calvin received first place performances from the
following individuals:

*Junior Ryan Jensen (Northview HS) in the discus (152-3)

*Senior Josh Meckes (Bay City/Saginaw Valley Lutheran HS) in the long jump
(21-6)

*Junior Tad Hulst (Zeeland HS) in the 1,500 meters (4:10.45)

*Junior Kelby McClelland (Mercer, PA) in the 110 high hurdles (15.04) and 400
hurdles (57.62)

*Senior Todd Schuster (Denver, CO) in the 800 meters (1:56.01)

*Junior Joel Baker (Kalamazoo Christian HS) in the 200 meters (22.08)

*and won both the 4x100 meter relay (43.06) and 4x400 meter relay (3:30.40).

On the women’s side, Calvin received first place performances from the
following individuals:

*Senior Megann VanderVliet (Oakville, ON) in the shot put (43-5 ¾) and discus
(148-6 ½) with both throws NCAA III provisional qualifying marks

*Senior Katie Bolt (Grand Rapids Christian HS) in the high jump (5-4)

*Sophomore Julie Bratt (Lynden, WA) in the triple jump (34-9)

*Junior Christina Overbeck (Seattle, WA) in the 3,000 meters (10:31.69)

*Junior Sarah Wittingen (East Grand Rapids HS) in the 100 meter hurdles
(14.89)

*Sophomore Lauren Bergstrom (Rochester, MN) in the 400 meters (59.00)

*Freshman Elizabeth Smit (Kirkland, WA) in the 800 meters (2:21.27)

*Senior Lisa Winkle (South Christian HS) in the 200 meters (25.83)

*Junior Lynn Marsh (North Vernon, IN) in the 5,000 meters (19:24.09).

**Calvin also won both relays with its 4x100 meter relay clocking in with a
time 49.85 while its 4x400 meter relay team had a time of 4:03.12.

Both Calvin teams will now break until Saturday when several athletes compete
at an invitational hosted by Western Michigan University while a few distance
runners will compete at an invitational hosted by Eastern Michigan University.

Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Wed Apr 18 21:40:44 2007