Junior hurler Hannah Banks threw a one-hit shutout at Grand Rapids Covenant Christian Saturday and then kept Middleville Thornapple Kellogg at bay in the nightcap to highlight Hopkins’ championship performance at the Thornapple Kellogg Invitational.
The Lady Vikings bested Covenant Christian 4-0 and then turned back TK 16-4. Coach Amy Funk insisted that Brinks did not yield a single earned run all day.
Brinks and battery mate Lyla Reynolds each drove in a run with a single.
Peyton Roxbury and Kate Steffes both collected a couple of hits and Madison Schwartz came up with a couple of stolen bases.
The tone of game two was very different.
The host Trojans jumped out to a 2-0 lead early, but then Jessi Spray and Cami Hibma drove in one run each and Ava Vanderkolk smacked a double and came home on Reynolds’ single.
The Vikings plated six runs on nine hits in the third inning, featuring a double by Schwartz, another double by Vanderkolk and hits by Reynolds, Roxbury and Spray.
Hopkins drilled 21 hits in the finale, with Hibma, Vanderkolk, Reynolds, Schwartz and Spray getting three apiece.
The victories improved the Lady Vikings overall season record to 12-5 and they remain unbeaten in the O-K Silver Conference.
“This team is on fire!” Remarked Funk. “Our positive attitude and relationships within the team is making things happen. So much fun !
“We continue to not just learn from our mistakes, but learn from the positive things each player does… make sense?”
The Vikings will be at home Monday for a non-league twin bill against Delton.
