The Hopkins softball dropped the second game of a doubleheader against Sparta Wednesday, 8-6, to fall to second place in the final O-K Silver Conference standings.
Calvin Christian won the league title again, losing only once this spring, to Hopkins, but the Vikings had two defeats.
“It was a sad day for our team,” coach Amy Funk said. “We just had a bad day and executed too late.
“It would have been the first time for us to have won the conference in 22 years.”
The Lady Vikings won the twin bill opener 10-2 Monday afternoon, but the nightcap was halted by a storm that included lightning, so game two was rescheduled for Wednesday.
Hopkins scored first in the second inning, as Peyton Roxbury singled in one run. But Sparta came up with a five-run rally in the bottom of the third.
The Vikings battled back with five runs over the last four innings, but it was too little to late. Driving in runs were Madison Schwartz, Roxbury and Cami Hibma, who collected three hits. Lyla Reynolds contributed two hits to the attack.
Junior ace Hannah Brinks gave up 12 Spartan hits and eight runs over six innings. She walked four and struck out eight.
Hopkins will have a nonleague encounter with Allendale before playing host Saturday, June 1, to Middleville Thornapple Kellogg in the opening round of the district tournament. They now own an overall record of 22-7.
