Reliever Shane Hykin stepped off the mound after delivering in a second pressure-packed moment on a unique day, and the Hope College baseball team celebrated.
The Flying Dutchmen went 3-for-3 against perennial MIAA power Adrian College, getting everything they wanted.
Hope completed its first regular-season sweep of the Bulldogs in 20 years with victories of 6-4, 6-3, and 8-5 on Wednesday at Boeve Stadium. The Flying Dutchmen won a suspended game first, then both games of a regularly-scheduled doubleheader.
Hykin recorded the final three outs of the 8-5 victory, including a 1-2-3 ninth against Adrian, MIAA regular-season champions for 11 consecutive seasons.
"I said after the game that we knew we had a mountain to climb this week, and all they've done is climb," head coach Stu Fritz said. "A ton of respect for Adrian; they've done it every single year. A unique situation to start — never played three games in a day — and found a way to do it. I'm proud of our guys."
The Flying Dutchmen seized command of the MIAA race, grabbing a three-game lead over Kalamazoo College, Albion College, and Alma College with a 9-2 league record. Hope (18-8) overall also leads Trine University, Calvin University, and Adrian by four games in the loss column.
Hope is bidding for its first MIAA regular-season title since 2013 when the Flying Dutch were co-champions with Adrian. The Flying Dutchmen have three regular-season series remaining, beginning on Friday, April 22, at 4 p.m. with a nine-inning game against Albion at Boeve Stadium.
On Wednesday, the Flying Dutchmen started winning with a 6-4 victory against the Bulldogs. The game was suspended in the top of the eighth inning on April 8 due to an umpire's injury.
Senior Spencer Cable (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville HS) waited 12 days for his at-bat with the bases loaded before delivering a go-ahead, two-run single down the third-base line and capping a four-run rally. Hykin (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Northern) retired three of the four batters he faced in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
After a short break, Hope returned to the field and beat Adrian, 6-3, behind a four-run second inning and solid starting pitching from freshman Mason Belmore (Battle Creek, Michigan / Lakeview).
Belmore (3-0) settled down after yielding one run in the first and two in the second, retiring 11 consecutive batters en route to a complete-game effort. The right-hander scattered nine hits and three strikeouts over seven innings.
The Flying Dutchmen took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the second. Hope capped a four-run rally when junior Caleb Regan (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Byron Center) scored on Cable's fielder's choice and freshman Dylan Kleinedler also came home on the play after Adrian threw away a double-play attempt.
In the day's final game, Hope capitalized on another Adrian throwing error to complete a go-ahead, three-run rally in the eighth.
Cable and senior Evan Maday (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Kentwood) both scored after the Bulldogs misplayed a grounder by senior Brant Kym (Libertyville, Illinois / Libertyville). One batter earlier, senior Kainan Bayn (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Bulldogs scored twice in the top of the eighth to pull even at 5-5.
Hykin stopped Adrian's rally by stranding a runner at second by retiring the only batter he faced on a flyout to right.
In the ninth, the Bulldogs went down 1-2-3 as Hykin (1-1) added a win to his busy day. Hope now has won eight games in a row.
"I can't give enough credit to Shane," Fritz said. "That kid came out in big situations and just got it done. It was pitching and defense the whole day for us. The energy in the dugout was incredible. I love our culture. Our kids believe."