The Hopkins varsity softball team concluded the league season Wednesday by sweeping a doubleheader against NorthPointe Christian, 15-0 and 17-7.
The Vikings, who finished in second place in the final O-K Silver Conference standings to Calvin Christian, lifted their overall record to 20-8 and they’ll play Parchment Thursday in a nonleague encounter before a district tournament semifinal contest at noon Saturday at home against Hastings.
Hannah Brinks tossed a one-hit shutout at the Mustangs in the first game. She also belted a double and a single to help her own cause and she had plenty of offensive support.
Lyla Reynolds continued her recent hitting tear with three hits in three trips to the plate with three RBIs, Peyton Roxbury added two safeties and Sierra Smith, Emily Dimock, Ava VanderKolk, Megan Andres, Dahlia Veldhouse and Madison Schwartz each added one hit. Dimock and Vanderkolk both unloaded a triple.
Smith had a rocky start on the mound, yielding seven runs, six unearned, in the first two innings, but settled down to record five innings of pitching for the win. She walked three and struck out five.
Reynolds delivered two triples and Smith a pair of doubles to pace the offensive attack. Both collected four hits.
Dimock and Brinks both had two hits and there was one apiece from Andres, Madison Washburn and Schwartz and Roxbury.
Hopkins has a good shot at advancing to the district finals Saturday at 2 p.m. because it defeated Hastings twice earlier in the season, but the likely opponent for the district championship will be friendly neighborhood rival Wayland, which sports a 33-1 record.
