CSR (Women's Tennis Defeats Albion/Softball Swept by Aquinas in Non-Conference Action)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR APRIL 22, 2010
 
Women’s Tennis Defeats Albion at Strikwerda Tennis Courts
Softball Swept by Aquinas in Non-Conference Action
 
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Calvin 6, Albion 3
 
(Written by Calvin Sports Information Student Assistant Mitch Blankespoor)
 
The Calvin women’s tennis team looked to remain undefeated in the MIAA season
by taking on the Albion Britons. Calvin defeated the Britons 6-3 on Thursday
afternoon.
 
Once again the doubles matches were the most thrilling of the match. Second
and third doubles were rather straightforward however. Senior Jill VanVeen
(Grand Rapids Christian High School) and Rachel Strikwerda defeated Cassie
Simmelink and Sarah Towler 8-5 at second doubles. The Britons took third
doubles by a score of 8-4 as Morgan Walter and Marissa Messinger defeated
Elizabeth Geenan and Rachel DeGroot.
 
First doubles was the match of the day. Shelly Zambler and Anna Gunderson
defeated Melissa Oosterhouse (Grand Rapids Christian) and Kaitlin Spoelhof
(Holland Christian) 9-8 (6). The Brits jumped out to an early 5-1 lead, but
could not hold it. Oosterhouse and Spoelhof battled back to take a lead 8-7.
The pro set went into a tiebreak, but only for Albion to win the tiebreaker
8-6. This gave Albion the crucial point advantage after doubles 2-1.
 
The singles matches went by rather quickly. Calvin took the first four
singles matches rather handily to clinch that match. Melissa Oosterhouse
defeated Shelly Zambler 6-0, 6-2. Kaitlin Spoelof beat Anna Gundersen 6-2,
6-3. Elizabeth Geenan beat Cassie Simmelink 6-2, 6-2. Rachel Srikwerda
handled Sarah Towler 6-1, 6-0. Michelle Busschen edged Morgan Wattler 5-7,
6-0, 10-4. The lone singles point for the Brits came from the sixth singles
flight. Katherine Batten beat Rachel DeGroot 6-4, 1-6, 10-7.
 
“This was a big win,” said Calvin women’s tennis coach Jerry Bergsma after the
completion of the match. “We knew Albion would bring a very talented team here
today and I was pleased with how our players stepped up to the challenge. We
have work left to do but today was an important step in our season.”
 
The win by Oosterhouse in singles play boosted her season single mark to 19-1
overall including 7-0 in MIAA play. In the process, Oosterhouse has established
a new Calvin single-season record for singles victories. Geenen moved to 15-4
in singles action, Strikwerda 14-3, Busccher 12-5 and Spoelhof 11-7.
 
In doubles play, DeGroot and Geenen are now 15-2, Strikwerda and VanVeen 11-5
and Oosterhouse and Spoelhof 12-6.
 
“They were one of the toughest doubles team we have faced this year in the
conference,” said Spoelhof of Albion’s No. 1 doubles team after the match.
“This is our second loss in conference with the other one being to Hope. It
was very encouraging to come back from 5-1 down and force a tiebreak. Even
though we lost, it was nice to even the slate in the singles match.”
 
Calvin returns to action next Monday when it travels to Alma for a 4 p.m.
match. The Knights will be bidding to become just the second team in Calvin
women’s tennis history to finish an MIAA dual meet season unbeaten as the 1981
Calvin women’s tennis team also achieved the feat.
 
MIAA WOMEN’S TENNIS DUAL MATCH STANDINGS THROUGH 4-22-10
 
Calvin 7-0
Hope 5-1
Kalamazoo 5-2
Albion 5-3
Adrian 3-4
Olivet 2-4
Satin Mary’s 2-4
Alma 1-6
Trine 0-6
 
SOFTBALL
Aquinas 1, Calvin 0
Aquinas 6, Calvin 0
 
(Written by Calvin Sports Information Student Assistant Derek Neice)
 
Calvin dropped both ends of a doubleheader on Thursday to Aquinas, falling 1-0
and 6-0.
In the first game, Calvin received a fantastic pitching performance from
freshman Shelby Mast but a late run in the fifth inning for the Saints sparked
their 1-0 victory. The second game saw fatigue take over as Calvin suffered a
6-0 loss, pushing its overall record to 9-18 on the season.
Game one of Thursday’s doubleheader against Aquinas went into the fifth inning
before a Saint even reached base. Mast gave up a hit and a walk in that inning
and on a passed ball with two outs, Aquinas scored the lone run of the game.
Mast went the full five innings with only allowing that hit and walk and
earned run, fanning eight Saints as well in that time. Aquinas’ Alyssa Fleser
improved to 9-8, giving up four hits and a walk while striking out seven.
Calvin’s second-baseman Kim VandenAkker went 2 for 3 in the game with
first-baseman Marie Prins and third-baseman Aubree Thompson picking up the
other two hits.
In game two Calvin managed only three hits from the plate, two of those going
to center fielder Mallissa VanRooyen and the other going to right fielder Hanna
DeWeerd. DeWeerd’s hit as well as one of VanRooyen’s went for extra bases.
Mast went three of the five innings in this game, giving up six hits and three
walks and earning five of Aquinas’ six runs. She also struck out four while
dropping her record to 8-15 on the year. Mandy Johnson came in to pitch the
last two innings, allowing two hits and nabbing three strikeouts in her time on
the mound.
Calvin returns to action on Saturday, hosting Trine at 1 p.m. in a conference
twinbill.
 
Received on Thu Apr 22 23:50:57 2010