The Hopkins softball team swept Belding in an O-K Silver Conference encounter. But that wasn’t the biggest news.
Senior Hannah Brinks twirled a no-hitter over seven innings for the Lady Vikings in a 7-0 opener. The winners came back to take game two 12-1. The verdicts threw the league standings into a tizzy, with Hopkins more than a fair shot at the championship.
Coach Any Funk beamed, “Hannah pitched lights out. Our defense was stellar too! And, of course, Lyla (Reynolds) behind the plate was awesome.
“But we still have Comstock Park and Fruitport, but it makes the conference interesting.”
The two teams were locked in a scoreless struggle through the first four innings before Hopkins came up with two runs in the fifth and four in the sixth inning.
Madison Schwartz drove home three runs, Callie Washburn added two RBIs and Schwartz and Cami Hibma both drilled a couple of timely singles.
Brinks came within just one batter of hurling a perfect game when she issued a walk, only one. She also struck out six.
The Vikings make quick work of Belding in the nightcap, scoring nine runs in the second inning and eventually marching their hosts in just four innings.
Lyla Reynolds unloaded a triple and Hibma, Brinks and Ava VanderKolk each had a double to pace the offensive attack.
Gracie Stallard hurled five innings, yielding just four hits and one run, striking out three.
So now Hopkins has one loss in league play, that to Calvin Christian, which has a couple of losses this season. The title is still up for grabs, but the Vikings appear to be in a good position.
