COVER PHOTO: Pitcher Hannah Brinks in a discussion with coach Amy Funk.
Hannah Brinks fired a two-hit shutout and her Hopkins comrades delivered 16 hits in an 8-0 opening game victory Tuesday afternoon at Sparta.
The Vikings came back to take game two 8-5.
Brinks, a sophomore, yielded just two hits and two walks while striking out 15 in one of her beat overall performances to date.
Meanwhile Ava VanderKolk, who been on a tear at the plate lately, cracked a double and three singles to pace the offensive attack. Madison Schwartz added a double and two singles, Brinks helped her own cause with a double and a single and Cami Hibma and Madison Washburn had a pair of singles.
Brinks picked up the win on the mound in the nightcap, in relief of Dahlia Veldhouse, who went the first three innings and gave up one run on four hits. Though Brinks was touched for four runs and seven hits, she struck out nine hitters and was able to withstand two, two-run rallies.
VanderKolk, Brinks, Jessi Spray and Kate Steffes each had two hits on the offensive side, but Avery Osborn had the biggest blow of all, a three-run homer.
The Lady Vikings now are 5-0 against O-K Silver Conference competition, with one game suspended with Comstock Park because of lightning while Hopkins was up 10-0. They are 5-4 overall after deliberately taking on tough opponents outside of league play.
