After absorbing two difficult nonleague defeats earlier this week, the Hopkins High School varsity softball team bounced back in a big way by sweeping Belding Friday, 23-5 and 11-0.
The Lady Vikings lifted their overall season record to 5-4 and they are 5-1 in the O-K Silver Conference.
Hopkins wasted no time in taking control of the opener plating three runs in the first inning, two more in the second and third and three in the fourth. The Vikings collected a dozen hits.
Sierra Smith went the distance on the mound, giving up six hits and striking out 14. She helped her own cause with three hits on the offensive side.
Rachel Black drilled three hits, Megan Andres had two and Aubrey Russell drove in three runs.
Freshman pitcher Dahlia Veldhouse fired a two-hit shutout against the Black Knights in the nightcap, striking out eight hitters.
Offensively, Morgan Dykstra had three hits and Black and Emily Dimock had two. Dylkstra, Dimock and Black each collected three RBIs.
