Sean Hoey's sensational starting pitching, Kainan Bayn's timely hitting, and Shane Hykin's clutch relief pitching propelled the Hope College baseball team to a 2-1 victory against Trine University on Thursday.
The Senior Day performance moved the Flying Dutchmen on the cusp of their 23rd MIAA championship overall and their first since 2013.
Hope (24-8, 15-4 MIAA) leads second-place Kalamazoo College by 1 1/2 games heading into the final week of the regular season.
The Flying Dutchmen can clinch at least a share of the regular-season title with one win during a doubleheader at Trine on Friday, May 6, or one Kalamazoo loss during a three-game series against Adrian College on Saturday-Sunday, May 7-8.
Hope can earn an outright title with either a sweep of Trine, one Hope win and one Kalamazoo loss, or two Kalamazoo losses.
"We've got a special group. We've found ways to win," head coach Stu Fritz said. "We scratched two runs today. Sean unbelievable today. Al Money made a couple of key defensive plays at third. I can't be prouder of our team and where we're at and the position we've put ourselves in."
On Thursday, the Flying Dutchmen won the series opener in thrilling fashion.
Hykin entered the game in relief of Hoey the starter with Trine runners on second and third base with nobody out. Trine, chasing an MIAA Tournament berth, led off the inning with a Brenden Warner infield single and a Dalton Nikirk double.
Seeking a team-leading fifth save this season, Hykin (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Northern) first struck out Quin Fauquher.
Trine catcher Mike Weis chopped on infield single to score pinch-runner Tyler Drope from third.
Hykin, however, struck out pinch-hitter Jackson O'Keefe and induced a Robert Kortas poppet to second baseman Nolan Gardner to end the game.
Hoey (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) tied a Hope single-season record after improving his record to 8-0. The right-hander is the fourth Flying Dutchmen to record eight pitching wins in a single season and the first since Nate Clements in 2012.
During a 107-pitch effort, Hoey scattered four hits and one run over eight innings of work. The fifth-year senior struck out six and walked three.
"He deserves all the credit in the world," Fritz said of Hoey. "He's worked tirelessly. We gave him the ball this year, and all he's done is take it and do it."
Trine (14-21, 9-10 MIAA) limited the Flying Dutchmen to six hits.
Bayn (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) knocked in both Hope runs with sacrifice flies.
The right fielder scored designated hitter Spencer Cable (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) in the fourth and third baseman Al Money (Midland, Michigan / Midland) in the sixth.
Hope is scheduled to start a doubleheader at Trine on Friday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.