CKSR (Softball Sweeps Goshen/Baseball Splits With Alma/Women's Tennis Defeated by Hope)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR APRIL 24, 2012

Softball Sweeps Goshen - Avila Matches Calvin Single-Season HR Mark;
Baseball Splits With Alma - Remains in Last Place in MIAA Standings;
Women's Tennis Defeated by Hope
 
SOFTBALL
Calvin 5, Goshen 3
Calvin 9, Goshen 0
By Mark DeHaan
 
Facing non-conference opponent Goshen College for the third straight season,
the Knights looked to break a four game losing streak against the visiting
Maple Leafs. Calvin did just that, handing Goshen a 5-3 defeat in game one and
then coming back for a 9-0 win in the nightcap to complete the doubleheader
sweep.
 
After a scoreless first, Calvin got its offense started in the bottom of the
second with a leadoff double from sophomore Lina Avila (Lakewood, CA/Valley
Christian HS). Avila was then brought in on a RBI single by senior Marie Prins
(Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS). One batter later, junior Hannah DeWeerd
(Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) brought in Prins on a single to push
the Calvin lead to 2-0.
 
In the third, Calvin extended its lead, this on a home run from Avila.
Pitching for the Knights, Avila helped her own cause with a bomb over the
left-center field fence with Prins on base, extending Calvin's lead to 4-0.
 
The Knights added an insurance in the fourth inning as freshman Trista
Brownlee (Saginaw/Saginaw Valley Lutheran HS) scored on a hit in the infield
from freshman Merin Cok (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS), making the
score 5-0.
 
Goshen would not go away without a fight however, as the Maple Leafs scored
three runs in the top of the fifth on just one hit, as the Knights committed
three errors, to cut Calvin's lead to 5-3. In the sixth, Goshen had a good
opportunity as they loaded the bases with two outs. The Maple Leafs batter then
hit the ball deep to left center field where freshman center fielder Kelsey
Pollock (Greenville/Belding HS) made the catch on the warning track to end the
inning.
 
The Knights then closed out the win in the top of the seventh to break the
losing streak, earning the 5-3 victory. Avila pitched all seven innings, moving
to 7-9 on the season, allowing only four hits and striking out three. Avila
went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI, while DeWeerd,
freshman Nicole Weener (Zeeland/Holland Christian HS), and Cok all added one
RBI each.
 
The Maple Leafs were led by Savannah Brinegar, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI
and a run scored. Maria Koshmider took the loss for Goshen, bringing her record
to 3-11.
 
In game two, Calvin got off to a quick start as it scored three runs in the
bottom of the first inning, two on a two RBI single by freshman Catherine
Hilbrands (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS).
 
In the second inning, the Knights continued to build on their lead, adding two
to push their advantage to 5-0.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Calvin put an emphatic offensive finish on its
final home game of the season as Avila hit a three run shot, this to left
field, to push Calvin's lead to 9-0. Prins had a sac fly earlier in the inning
to bring in Brownlee from third.
 
In the top of the fifth, the Knights shut down the Maple Leafs to earn the
mercy rule win 9-0 and the doubleheader sweep.
 
Brownlee pitched all five innings, allowing only three hits and striking out
seven, to earn the win and push her record to 6-10 on the season. On the
offensive end, Prins, in her last home game as a senior, went 2-for-2 with
three RBI and a run. Freshman Christie VanderMeer (Grandville/Grandville HS)
was 2-for-2 with three runs scored while Hilbrands was 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Avila was 1-for-3 with a run and RBI. With the two home runs Avila hit, she
ties the Calvin record for home runs in a season – originally set by Abby
Konyndyk in 2005 - with 10.
 
“It was great to win two games. We needed to come back after a couple of tough
double headers last week, so it was great to come back and win two games today,”
said Head Coach Sharon DeKleine. “I thought Trista did a really good job
pitching. Lina's hitting is just phenomenal – she came out relaxed, ready to
play ball today, and just showed what she could do.”
 
Calvin moves to 13-19 overall while Goshen drops to 14-29. The Knights return
to action tomorrow when they travel to Alma for a conference doubleheader, with
the first pitch at 3:30 pm.
 
BASEBALL
Calvin 4, Alma 2
Alma 4, Calvin 1
 
By Andrew Knot
 
GAME ONE
 
The Knights took their first victory of a four game series with Alma after a
4-2 victory in game three on Tuesday. The game took place at Calvin field,
though Alma went in the scorebook as the home team.
 
It was the Scots who got on the board first. In the bottom of the second
inning, Alma took advantage of a Calvin error after a single off the bat of
Micah Parshall. The Scots brought two runs around, taking an early 2-0 lead.
 
The Knights responded in the next half inning. Tyler Tos (Wallnut Creek,
CA/Berena Christian HS) and Scott Tipton (Stow, OH/Cuyahoga Valley Christian
HS) got things started with singles and Ben Cok (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids
Christian HS) drew a walk to load the bases. With one out, Kyle Spoelma
(Kentwood/South Christian HS) knocked a double down the left field line,
scoring two. Mike Fuller (Sylvania, OH/Southview HS) then singled through the
gap between first and second to add a run. After two innings, the Knights led
by a run.
 
Meanwhile, Grant VanderWall (Wyoming/South Christian HS) was calmly working
through the Scots’ lineup. Neither of the runs against him earned, VanderWall
forced the Scots to strand six runners on base. In the fifth, with a runner on
third, the Knights caught Ian Rhynard attempting to steal, ending the inning
and keeping the score at 3-2.
 
Calvin was able to add a run in the top of the seventh when, with the bases
loaded. Kyle Spoelma became the third Knight hit by a pitch in the inning. The
Knights took a three run advantage into the bottom of the seventh. Despite a
two-out single, Calvin was able to get out of the inning unscathed, ending the
game at 4-2.
 
VanderWall allowed five hits and no earned runs, earning a victory and
bringing his record to 3-5. After the game, the Knights record moved to 11-17
overall and 6-13 in conference.
 
GAME TWO
 
Calvin fell to Alma in the final game of a four-game series on Tuesday, losing
by a score of 4-1.
 
In the bottom of the first, Alma catcher Matt Stephens hit a single to score
two. The Scots took a 2-0 lead into the second. The Knights got a run back in
the second when, after an error from Stephens, Ben Cok rounded third and
crossed home.
 
From there, Kevin Thompson and Joe Lambers (Grosse Pointe/Grosse Pointe South
HS), Alma and Calvin’s starting pitchers, respectively, would find a rhythm.
Lambers struck out seven batters in 5.1 innings and Thompson didn’t allow a
single earned run in seven innings of work.
 
Ryan Henris, who was stellar at the shortstop all afternoon for the Scots,
picked up an RBI in the sixth as Alma added two runs of insurance to make the
score 4-1. Though the Knights were able to put runners on second and third in
the top of the seventh, they couldn’t get a run across, and a pop-out to second
ended the game in the Scots’ favor.
 
Lambers took the loss for the Knights, while Thompson picked up the win. With
the loss, Calvin drops to 6-14 in conference and 11-18 overall.
 
MIAA BASEBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 4-24-12 GAMES
 
Adrian 18-2
Trine 12-8
Hope 11-9
Albion 10-10
Olivet 8-12
Alma 8-12
Kalamazoo 7-13
Calvin 6-14
 
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Hope 8, Calvin 1
 
HOLLAND - Calvin dropped an 8-1 decision to league-leading Hope Tuesday
afternoon at Holland Christian High School. The loss drops Calvin to 6-12
overall and to 4-3 in the MIAA. Calvin will close out its MIAA regular season
on Saturday when it hosts Trine at 1 p.m.
 
In the loss to Hope on Saturday, Calvin battled the Flying Dutch on fairly
even terms in doubles play, losing all three points but losing by scores of 8-6
(No. 1), 8-5 (No. 2) and 8-4 (No. 3).
 
Hope (15-7 overall, 7-0 MIAA) then took control in singles play, winning the
top five singles flights including four flights where Calvin won just a
combined seven games.
 
Calvin's lone win came from freshman Ali Roode (Jenison/Unity Christian HS) at
No. 6 singles as she claimed a 6-4, 6-2 win to boost her season record to 15-3
in singles play.
 
MIAA WOMEN'S TENNIS STANDINGS THROUGH 4-24-12 MATCHES
 
Hope 7-0
Albion 7-1
Kalamazoo 6-2
Calvin 4-3
Alma 4-4
Saint Mary's 3-4
Adrian 2-6
Trine 1-6
Olivet 0-8
Received on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:43:45 -0400