Flying Dutch Split With Nationally Rank Scots (4/30/11)
Alma 9, Hope 1 / Hope 4, Alma 3
The Flying Dutch locked up the second seed in the upcoming MIAA conference tournament by splitting a doubleheader with nationally ranked Alma on Saturday. In contrasting games, the Flying Dutch were mercied in the opener 9-1 in five innings, but came back to win the nightcap 4-3 in 10 innings. Hope finishes in second place in the regular season MIAA standings with a 12-4 conference record. The Flying will take a 24-13 season record into the conference tournament to be hosted by Alma next week.

Flying Dutch Stay in Title Contention With Split (4/28/11)
St. Mary's 5, Hope 4 / Hope 6, St. Mary's 0
The Flying Dutch remained in contention for the MIAA championship by splitting a doubleheader with Saint Mary's on Thursday. The host Belles won the opener 5-4 while Hope took the nightcap 6-0. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch stand 11-3 in the MIAA with one doubleheader remaining at Alma against the league-leading Scots (13-1). A Hope sweep would create a co-championship. The split puts Hope at 23-12-1 on the season.

The Flying Dutch salvaged the split on the arm of senior Andrea Reinecke who pitched her fifth shutout of the season. Reinecke (10-3) allowed just four hits, struck out three and walked four. Leadoff hitter Abby Phillips batted 3-for-4, including a first inning homerun. Jo Forst added a pair of hits.

Saint Mary's came from behind to win the opener. Hope led 4-1 after five innings, but the Belles came back with two runs in both the sixth and bottom of the seventh. Andrea Reinecke homered while Stephanie Faber and Emma Page each had a pair of hits.

Flying Dutch Split Pair of One-Run Decisions (4/25/11)
Hope 6, Trine 5 / Trine 2, Hope 1
The Flying Dutch split a pair of one-run makeup league games with visiting Trine on Monday. Hope won the opener 6-5 with a come-from-behind effort while Trine took the nightcap 2-1.

Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch are 10-2 in league games with two doubleheaders remaining beginning Tuesday at Saint Mary's. Hope is 22-11-1 overall.

In the opener Laura Tjepkema's single in the bottom of the sixth inning drove in two runs for the win. Tjepkema batted 3-for-4 with three RBIs while leadoff hitter Abby Phillips had a pair of hits. Michelle Marra (13-8) went the distance for the pitching win.

In the nightcap the Flying Dutch scored a run in the first inning, but were shut out the rest of the way as Trine scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Each team had five hits. Andrea Reinecke (9-2) suffered the pitching loss. She helped her own cause with a pair of hits and an RBI.

Flying Dutch Sweep Nationally Ranked Adrian (4/23/11)
Hope 7, Adrian 2 / Hope 8, Adrian 4
The Flying Dutch stayed right in the thick of the MIAA race by sweeping nationally ranked Adrian on Seniors Day at Wolters Stadium, 7-2 and 8-4.

Adrian came to Holland ranked 16th in Division III and riding a 33-3 record. They left Holland the victim of outstanding pitching and timely hitting as the Flying Dutch improved to 9-1 in conference play and under first-year coach Mary Vande Hoef are 21-10-1 overall heading into the final week of the regular season faced with three key MIAA doubleheaders. It begins Monday with a home makeup twinbill against Trine.

In the opener Michelle Marra (12-8) went the distance in throwing a seven-hitter. Hope's eight-hit attack was spread across seven players. Hitting homeruns for the Flying Dutch were Abby Phillips and Emma Page. Hope had six stolen bases raising the school-record season total to 87 in 99 attempts.

In the nightcap Andrea Reinecke (9-2) also went the distance in recording her fifth straight win. Adrian stranded 11 baserunners. Reinecke helped her own cause batting 3-for-3 while Suzie Stevenson and Joe Forst each had a pair of hits. Adrian pitcher Jami Shafley was tagged with her first loss after 10 victories.

Outstanding Pitching, Including a No-Hitter, Leads to Sweep (4/21/11)
Hope 8, Kalamazoo 0 (5) / Hope 10, Kalamazoo 0 (5)
History of Hope No-Hitters
Senior pitchers Michelle Marra and Andrea Reinecke fired a pair of jewels Thursday as the Flying Dutch won a pair of mercy-rule games over visiting Kalamazoo, 8-0 and 10-0.

In the opener Marra fired a one-hitter and in the nightcap Reinecke followed with a no-hit perfect game, the first against an MIAA opponent since 1993.

The wins put the Flying Dutch at 7-1 in the MIAA and 19-10 overall heading into a stretch of four league doubleheaders over the next five six days.

Kalamazoo's lone hit was the only baserunner allowed by Marra who improved to 11-8 on the season. Hope's nine-hit attack was highlighted by Suzie Stevenson's 3-for-3 performance and a game-ending two-run homer by Jo Forst.

Reinecke (8-2) pitched her third straight shutout and fourth of the season. The no-hitter was the ninth in school history and the first in five seasons. Reinecke was supported by an 11-hit attack. Kori Nieuwsma and Kristin Higgs each batted two-for-two with three RBIs.

The Flying Dutch stole 12 bases in the doubleheader, six in each game, to established a Hope single season theft mark. This year's team is 81-of-92. The old record was 74-of-91 in 1996. Hope over the last four games has 22 copnsecutive stolen bases.

Flying Dutch Sweep Rival Calvin (4/13/11)
Hope 5, Calvin 4 / Hope 6, Calvin 0
The Flying Dutch maintained their current domination of rival Calvin by sweeping a doubleheader over the visiting Knights on Wednesday, 5-4 and 6-0. Hope has now defeated Calvin 12 straight times since 2006.

Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch improved to 5-1 in the MIAA and to 17-10 overall.

Hope won the opener on a walkoff sacrifice fly by Stephanie Faber with one out in the seventh inning. Calvin had erased a 4-1 Hope lead by scoring three times in the final two innings. Senior Michelle Marra (10-8) pitched a complete game victory. Laura Tjepkma had a pair of hits,including a double.

In the nightcap the Flying Dutch scored four times in the second inning and added a pair in the fith on homeruns by Suzie Stevenson and Emma Page. Senior Andrea Reinecke (7-2) pitched her second consecutive shutout allowing three hits while walking and striking out three. Stephanie Faber, Laura Tjepkma and Emma Page each had two hits.

The Flying Dutch continued their aggressive base-running going 10-for-10 on stolen bases. Through 28 games the Flying Dutch have 69 stolen bases in 80 attempts.

Flying Dutch Split Doubleheader at Albion (4/9/11)
Albion 8, Hope 2 / Hope 8, Albion 0 (5)
The Flying Dutch split a conference doubleheader in contrasting ways on Saturday at Albion. The host Britons powered their way to an 8-2 victory in the opener and then in the nightcap the Flying Dutch road the arm of senior pitcher Andrea Reinecke in gaining an 8-0 triumph called after five innings because of the mercy rule. Coach Mary Vander Hoef's Dutch are 3-1 in league play and 15-10-1 overall.

Albion batters hit four homeruns in the opening game while the Flying Dutch were being held to three hits. Senior Michelle Marra (9-8) took the pitching loss. Designated hitter Kori Nieuwsma had a pair of hits, including a double.

In the nightcap, Reinecke (6-2) pitched her second shutout of the season allowing just two hits. Shortstop Kristin Higgs batted 3-for-3 with three RBIs. Laura Tjepkma was 2-for-2 and scored three runs while Suzie Stevenson hit her first homerun of the season.

Flying Dutch Sweep Comets in MIAA Opener (4/7/11)
Hope 5, Olivet 4 (8) / Hope 9, Olivet 1 (5)
The Flying Dutch opened conference play by winning a pair of games in contrasting ways on Thursday. In games at Olivet, coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch staged a come-from-behind effort in the opener to gain a 5-4 eight inning victory and then in the nightcap it was all Hope who needed only five innings en route to a 9-1 triumph. The Flying Dutch have a 14-9-1 season record.

Three times the Flying Dutch needed to come from behind in the opener and the last was the most dramatic of all. Hope was down to its last strike in the seventh inning and Kristin Higgs had a nine pitch at-bat before hitting the ball, which ricocheted off the Olivet third baseman's glove and into left to allow the tying run to score. Suzie Stevenson's RBI single in the eighth gave Hope the 5-4 win.

In the nightcap Olivet scored first, but Hope got the next nine runs to force an early end because of the eight-run mercy rule.

Senior pitchers Michelle Marra (9-7) and Andrea Reinecke (5-2) each went the distance. The Flying Dutch had four homeruns in the doubleheader. Leadoff hitter Abby Phillips had two in the opening game, her first of the season. Hitting homeruns in the second game were Jo Forst and Emma Page. Stephanie Faber and Page each had four hits over the two games.

Flying Dutch Bow to Nationally Ranked DePauw (4/2/11)
DePauw 4, Hope 1 / DePauw 2, Hope 0
The Flying Dutch lost a pair of non-league games to nationally ranked DePauw in Greencastle, Ind. om Saturday, 2-0 and 4-1. The games ended the non-league portion of the schedule. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch will begin MIAA play next week with a 12-9-1 record.

Flying Dutch Bow Twice to Visiting Chicago (4/1/11)
Chicago 4, Hope 1 / Chicago 12, Hope 4
The Flying Dutch suffered a pair of home losses Friday bowing to the University of Chicago, 4-2 and 12-4. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch have a 12-7-1 season record. The Flying Dutch close out the non-league portion of their schedule Saturday at DePauw, Ind.

The visiting Maroons hit five homeruns in the doubleheader and held a 25-14 advantage in total hits. Michelle Marra (8-5) suffered the opening game pitching loss while Andrea Reinecke (4-2) took the defeat in the nightcap. Stephanie Faber batted 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles in the second game.

Flying Dutch Split Home Opening Doubleheader (3/29/11)
Carthage 3, Hope 1 / Hope 14, Carthage 5 (5)
The Flying Dutch split a non-league home doubleheader with Carthage, Wisc. on Tuesday. The visitors won the opener 3-1 while coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch took the nightcap 14-5 in a game shortened to five innings because of the marcy rule. The Flying Dutch have a 12-5-1 season record.

In the opener Hope's bats were silenced as the Flying Dutch were limited to four singles. Hope's bats came alive in the second game behind 14 hits, including four doubles and a pair of homeruns by sophomore Jo Forst, her first as a collegian.

Senior Andrea Reinecke pitched a three-hitter in the victory and helped her own cause with three hits and three RBIs. Senior Michelle Marra took the pitching loss in the opener.

Flying Dutch Win a Pair in Florida (3/24/11)
Hope 3, Manchester 2
The Flying Dutch swept a pair of games in Florida on Thursday. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch opened the day with a 5-1 victory over Allegheny, Pa. and ended it with a nine-inning 5-4 triumph against Benedictine, Ill. Hope has a 6-2 record in their Florida games which conclude today and is 9-4-1 overall.

The Flying Dutch literally stole their victory against Allegheny behind seven stolen bases. Andrea Reinecke pitched the complete game victory behind six strikeouts and no walks. Collecting two stolen bases apiece were Reinecke, Laura Tjepkema and Kristin Higgs. Hope's hits were spread across five players with Stephanie Faber collecting a triple and Jo Forst a double.

Stephanie Faber's double with one out in the bottom of the ninth drove in two runs for the victory against Benedictine. Michelle Marra pitched the victory in relief of Andrea Reinecke. Faber batted 3-for-4 while Suzie Stevenson was credited with two stolen bases.

Flying Dutch Split in Florida Games (3/22/11)
UW-Whitewater 10, Hope 8 / Hope 7, Elmhurst 5
The Flying Dutch split a pair of games in Florida on Tuesday bowing to UW-Whitewater 10-8 and then bouncing back to top Elmhurst, Ill. 7-5. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch have a 7-4-1 record, including a 4-2 mark in games played in Florida.
UW-Whitewater 10, Hope 8: The Flying Dutch led 7-4 when Whitewater scored five times in the fifth to take the lead. Hope's 10-hit attack was led by Abby Phillips, Stephanie Faber and Suzie Stevenson who each had a pair of hits. Laura Tjepkema was credited with four RBIs while Andrea Reinecke stole two bases. Reinecke also suffered the pitching loss.
Hope 7, Elmhurst 5: The Flying Dutch broke a 4-4 tie on Andrea Reinecke's fifth inning homerun and added two more in the sixth. Suzie Stevenson led the offense with three hits while Abby Phillips and Jo Forst each had a pair of hits. Michelle Marra went the distance for the pitching victory.

Flying Dutch Split Florida Games (3/21/11)
Hope 6, New Paltz 4
The Flying Dutch split a pair of games in Florida on Monday, winning the opener over SUNY-New Paltz 6-4, but losing the nightcap to St. Thomas, Minn. 7-5. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch have a 6-3-1 season record.

Hope 6, SUNY-New Paltz 4: Senior Andrea Reinecke pitched the complete game victory and helped her own cause with a pair of RBIs. Hope's eight-attack was bolstered by doubles hit by Abby Phillips, Kori Nieuwsma, Emma Page and Jo Forst.

St. Thomas, Minn. 7, Hope 5: Senior Kori Nieuwsma hit a three-run homer to give Hope the lead in the first inning, but St. Thomas scored three times in the fourth inning to break a 4-4 tie. Senior Michelle Marra took the complete game pitching loss. Hope outhit St. Thomas 11-9 with Abby Phillips, Stephanie Faber, Suzie Stevenson and Emma Page each having a pair. Stevenson's hit were both doubles.

Flying Dutch Win Twice to Open Florida Games (3/19/11)
Hope 8, Bethel, Minn. 2 / Hope 1, Loras 0
The Flying Dutch opened play in Florida with a pair of victories on Saturday. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch began their southern series of games with a 1-0 victory over Loras, Iowa and followed with a late-night 8-2 triumph over Bethel, Minn. Senior Michelle Marra pictched both victories, allowing just eight hits over 14 innings to improve to 4-2 on the season and 25-25 in her career. The Flying Dutch have a 5-2-1 season record.

The Flying Dutch made a first inning run stand up the rest of the way as Marra pitched a five-hit shutout, the fourth of her career. She struck out five batters and walked none. Back-to-back singles by Abby Philips and Stephanie Faber was followed by a double-steal that put both baserunners in scoring position. A fielder's choice putout of Kori Nieuwsma allowed Phillips to score what would turn out to be the game's only run. Leading Hope's eight-hit attack was led by Phillips and Laura Tjepkema who each had a pair of singles.

In the Bethel victory, senior pitcher Michelle Marra threw a three-hitter and was backed by an 11-hit attack led by Laura Tjepkema who batted 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Collecting two hits apiece were Abby Phillips, Suzie Stevenson and Emma Page. The Flying Dutch took advantage of eight Bethel fielding errors that result in five unearned Hope runs.

Doubleheader is Prelude to Florida Trip (3/17/11)
Wheaton 10, Hope 5 / Hope 3, Wheaton 3 (tie)
In a prelude to their annual spring break trip to Florida, the Flying Dutch played a doubleheader at Wheaton College on Thursday. The host Thunder won the opener 10-5 and Hope appeared to have the second game in hand when an agreed-to time limit came, causing the final inning to be erased with the end result being a 3-3 tie. The time limit had been agreed-to by the teams to allow Hope enough time to get to the airport for their flight to Florida where they'll play 10 games over the next week. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch have a 3-2-1 season record.

Kori Nieuwsma's two-run homerun in the top of the seventh had given Hope a 5-3 lead. Pitcher Andrea Reinecke collected her fifth strikeout of the game to open the bottom of the seventh inning when time ran out. Stephanie Faber had a pair of hits, including a double and two RBIs.

In the opener a six-run fourth inning spelled the difference for the Thunder. Hope's 10-hit attack was led by Laura Tjepkema who was 3-for-3, Michelle Marra took the pitching loss with a strikeout and two walks.

Flying Dutch Win Three of Four on Opening Weekend (2/26/11)
Hope 14, Edgewood 2 / Hope 10, Finlandia 0
Hope 14, Simpson 6 / UW-Stevens Point 9, Hope 8
The Flying Dutch marked the debut of new coach Mary Vande Hoef by winning three of four games played indoors Friday and Saturday in Michigan's Upper Pensinsula. Playing in the Superior Dome, the Flying Dutch on Friday first defeated Edgewood, Wisc. 14-2 and then blanked host Finlandia 10-0. Both games ended after five innings by the mercy rule. On Saturday the team opened with a 14-6 five inning win over Simpson, but lost the nightcap to UW-Stevens Point 9-8.

Sophomore Kristin Higgs of Sturgis/Sturgis HS and senior Andrea Reinecke of Eaton Rapids/Eaton Rapids HS were named to the all-tournament team. Higgs batted .615 (8/13) in the tournament from the #9 position in the order with a triple, four homeruns and 11 RBIs. Reinecke batted .500 (7/14) with a double, triple, three homeruns and nine RBIs. She also pitched a victory and when not on the mound played second base.