The Hopkins varsity softball team closed out its O-K Silver Conference season Tuesday with a makeup doubleheader sweep over Kelloggsville.
The Lady Vikings prevailed 20-0 in the first game and didn’t let up in the nightcap, winning 29-0. The results left coach AmyFunk’s group with a league record of 8-2, in second place behind Calvin Christian, which went 10-0.
Hopkins scored 11 times in the opening inning and plated nine more in the second to turn the first contest into a rout halted after three frames because of the 15-run mercy rule.
Jessica Spray had the game’s only extra base hit, a double, and two Rockets pitchers issued 16 walks. Winning pitcher Hannah Brinks drilled three of the Vikings’ six hits and drove in four runs.
Brinks was near perfect on the mound, hitting one batter who went to first base, but the other nine outs came via the strikeout route, meaning the Rockets failed to hit a fair ball in the game.
Dahlia Veldhouse twirled a one-hit shutout in the second game, which also was limited to just three innings. She walked nobody and struck out seven.
The Kelloggsville pitchers again had a lot of trouble with control, walking a whopping 23 batters.
Lyla Reynolds, Jessica Spray and Calleigh Washburn each belted a double, but the Vikings only had five hits total. Washburn collected three RBIs and Brinks, Spray, Kate Steffes and Veldhouse had two apiece.
Hopkins now owns an 18-12-2 record overall and will finish the regular season Wednesday with a non-league doubleheader against Allendale.
The Vikings will take on South Christian, a 13-4 winner over Middleville Thornapple Kellogg this afternoon in the opening round, at 10 a.m. Saturday in the district semifinals at Wayland. The host Wildcats will play Allegan in the other semifinal at noon and the two winners will meet in the finals at 2 p.m.
