The Hope College baseball team matched its season-high with 11 hits, but lost the series opener at Franklin College (Indiana), 7-5 on Friday.

The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 8, at noon.

Junior designated hitter Charlie Saul (Batavia, Illinois / Batavia HS) led the Flying Dutchmen by going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Senior catcher Ben Stratman (Ann Arbor, Michigan / Pioneer) also contributed two hits.

Hope (0-6) briefly held a 4-3 lead after scoring twice in the top of the seventh. Senior second baseman Dylan Kleinedler (Sterling Heights, Michigan / Stevenson) knocked in junior first baseman Cade Seabaugh (Ballwin, Missouri / Ladue Horton) with a single to left. Kleinedler later scored on a wild pitch.

Franklin (3-2) answered with a three-run rally in the bottom half of the innings, chasing junior reliever Ian Sanders (Grandville, Michigan / Grandville) by scoring three times with one out. Dyllan Redmon made it 6-4 with an RBI single.

The Flying Dutchmen pulled back within a run in the eighth when Saul smacked an RBI single to bring home sophomore shortstop Elliott Peter (Zionsville, Indiana / Zionsville).

Franklin extended the lead back to two runs with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly from Ian Nuckles.

Sanders dropped to 0-1 on the season.

Starting pitcher Trent Johnson (Midland, Michigan / H.H. Dow) didn't factor in the decision but recorded his best start of the season. The right-hander scattered six hits and three runs over four innings of work. Johnson struck out seven and walked two.