CKSR (Women's Lacrosse Holds Off Hope / Softball Sweeps Away Hornets)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR APRIL 19, 2018

Women's Lacrosse Holds Off Hope;
Softball Sweeps Away Hornets

WOMEN'S LACROSSE
Calvin 12, Hope 10

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The rivalry once again swayed in favor of the Calvin women's lacrosse team on Thursday evening. The Knights grounded the Flying Dutch 12-10 to improve to 8-5 and 5-0 in MIAA play. The loss sends Hope to 6-5 and 4-2 in MIAA play. The Maroon and Gold have now won the last eight meetings in the rivalry and lead the all-time series, 9-1.

"This was a good win for us," said Calvin head coach Blake Boehm. "A lot of people stepped up and kept us in front. There's a lot we can learn from this game and we'll have to keep working hard to grow every day."

Junior Kelly Pepper (Wyckoff, N.J./Indian Hills) broke the ice on Thursday with an unassisted goal with 26:15 left in the first half.

Senior Amanda Davio (Okemos, Mich./Okemos) celebrated senior day with a goal off a pass from junior Emma Tilma (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian).

The Flying Dutch responded with the next three goals.

The Knights pushed back with a 5-0 run.

Amanda Davio struck again to tie the game at three off a pass from Kelly Pepper.

Up a player, junior Lauryn Slachter (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) took advantage of a Hope yellow card and fooled the keeper. Senior Emma Hall (Harare, Zimbabwe/Chisipite Senior School) earned the assist.

It did not matter that the Knights were down a player. Controlling a majority of the play on a Hope one-man advantage, sophomore Emma Verrett (Beaver, Pa./Beaver County Christian) cut through the Dutch defense to put the Knights up two goals.

Emma Verrett struck again four minutes later on a free position shot.

With 41 seconds remaining, Kelly Pepper fired in a shot past the Keeper on a free position shot.

Hope struck again with 14 seconds remaining in the half to make it a 7-4 game at halftime.

The Flying Dutch opened the scoring in the second half, but Calvin rallied to notch the next three goals.

Emma Verrett earned the hat trick with a goal off a feed from Emma Hall.

Kelly Pepper got the ball past the Hope keeper on a free position shot.

Amanda Davio joined in on the free-position party with a goal of her own.

Things got interesting with a 4-1 Hope run Emma Verrett scored the lone Calvin goal that turned out to be the game-winning goal.

With the momentum favoring the visitors in orange and blue, Amanda Davio turned the tide after pickpocketing the Hope goalie and rushing at an open net and throwing the ball in to make it 12-9.

Hope scored again a minute later, but the Knights were able to hold possession and majority in the final few minutes.

Sophomore Sarah Hall (Harare, Zimbabwe/Chisipite Senior School) and junior Alyssa Gagnon (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) both caused key turnovers in the final few minutes. Junior Ellis Chalfant (St. Louis, Mo./Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School) also made a save on a free position shot to seal the deal.

Ellis Chalfant recorded seven saves in the victory.

Amanda Davio and Emma Verrett both finished with a game-high four goals.

The Calvin defense gave the Flying Dutch issues on Thursday and caused 26 turnovers. Amanda Davio, Emma Hall and junior Sky Gyuro (Warwick, N.Y./Strom King School) all caused four turnovers. Hope was also only successful on eight of 21 clear attempts.

The Knights were winning battles too on Thursday, Calvin scooped up 26 ground balls, to 18 for Hope. Sky Gyuro, Ellis Chalfant and Emma Verrett all finished with four.

The victory sets up a date for the MIAA title on Saturday afternoon with the Belles of Saint Mary's in Indiana. The Knights have won two of the last three titles.

MIAA WOMEN'S LACROSSE STANDINGS THROUGH 4-19-18

Calvin 6-0
Hope 5-0
Albion 5-1
Hope 3-2
Trine 2-2
Alma 1-4
Kalamazoo 1-4
Adrian 0-5
Olivet 0-5

SOFTBALL
Calvin 7, Kalamazoo 2
Calvin 14, Kalamazoo 1 (5 innings)

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Calvin softball team picked up two important MIAA victories on Thursday afternoon against the Hornets of Kalamazoo College. The Knights sprayed the Hornets 7-2 and 14-1 to improve to 20-5 in the season and 5-3 in MIAA action. Kalamazoo falls to 8-16 and 0-8 in the MIAA. The Knights currently stand in fourth place in the MIAA.

"Two big conference wins for our team," said head coach Becky Hilgert. "Our offense stayed on the attack in both games and defensively we made plays behind Anna, Ellie and Bri."

The Calvin bats started buzzing in the second inning against the Hornets. Junior Anna Gernant (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) threw the first punch with a double into the gap in right-center field to score junior Abby Colon (Caledonia, Mich./South Christian). Gernant later scored on a wild pitch. Junior Rachel Borden (Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg) sent a bullet down the left-field line to score sophomore Bri Noorman (Jenison, Mich./Covenant Christian). Junior Maddie DeGroot (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) then triple to center field to score Borden.

The triple by Maddie DeGroot was the 10th of her career and is a program record.

Kalamazoo got on the scoreboard with a run in the fifth inning. Sophomore Kayla Groen (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) responded with a double to center field that scored Anna Gernant and Abby Colon.

A double from freshman Grace Stock (Vicksburg, Mich./Vicksburg) to center field scored senior Jessica Brasser (Rockford, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) in the sixth inning for the final Calvin run.

Anna Gernant used her Hornet spray on Thursday and struck out 12 Hornets in her seventh victory of the year.

Maddie DeGroot led all players with three hits.

The Knights used their most potent offensive performance of the season to sting the Hornets in game two. The Maroon and Gold added runs in all five innings.

In the first inning, Abby Colon singled through the left side of the infield to score Jessica Brasser from second base. Abby Colon later scored on a single from Kayla Groen also through the left side of the infield.

Grace Stock rang a ball off the scoreboard in center field in a no-doubt home run that also scored Jessica Brasser. Freshman Kennedy Geiger (Clarksville, Mich./Lake Odessa) snuck the ball down the left-field line to score Anna Gernant and Abby Colon.

A double into the gap in left-center from Jessica Brasser brought Rachel Borden home safely from second base in the third inning. Grace Stock struck again in the third, this time with a double down the right-field line that scored Jessica Brasser.

A fourth-inning error scored senior Kimiko Hinatsu (Romeo, Mich./Romeo). Sophomore Jordan VanEerden (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) had an infield single that scored Kennedy Geiger. Jessica Brasser cleared the bases with a single up the middle to send in Maddie DeGroot and Jordan Van Eerden.

Kayla Groen ended the scoring with a bang. Groen sent the ball flying over the fence in left field that scored Kennedy Geiger.

Freshman Bri Leegwater (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) came into pitch in the fifth inning and shut down the Hornets with two strikeouts.

Freshman Ellie Borst (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) fanned six Kalamazoo hitters and held the Hornets to two hits, for her 10th victory of the season.

The 18 hits and 14 runs are season highs for Calvin. Kennedy Geiger and Maddie DeGroot both finished with three hits, a career-high for Geiger.

Calvin returns to action on Saturday for the final home games of the 2018 season against Albion College.

MIAA SOFTBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 4-19-18

Saint Mary's 11-1
Hope 5-1
Trine 7-3
Calvin 5-3
Adrian 5-5
Alma 4-6
Olivet 3-5
Albion 0-8
Kalamazoo 0-8
Received on Fri Apr 20 00:16:57 2018