The Hope College softball team rebounded in a big way to keep its season alive in the MIAA Tournament on Friday. 

The Flying Dutch earned the win in the elimination game against Adrian College, 5-2, after dropping game one to Calvin University to a walk-off single, 3-2. 

"It was a great bounce-back win," said head coach Michelle Brander Metiva. "We're looking forward to being back on the field together again tomorrow."

Hope (26-15) takes the field for a fourth matchup with Calvin this season, in another elimination game, on Saturday, May 11, at noon in Angola, Indiana. The winner advances to face Trine in the title round on Saturday.

Against Adrian, Hope rallied after going down 2-0 within the first two innings for a second consecutive game. The Flying Dutch utilized a four-run fifth inning to jump ahead of the Bulldogs.

Senior Emily Martin (Whitehall, Michigan/ Whitehall HS), who grabbed two hits in three at-bats in game two, tied the score at 2-2 by sending in senior Kyra Acker (Eaton Rapid, Michigan / Eaton Rapids) and sophomore Kennedi Pochmara (Clinton Township, Michigan / Chippewa Valley) to score after finding open space in the field for her first hit of the game. 

Sophomore Kate DeMann (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian) followed by slamming a hit up the middle, allowing for Martin to touch the plate for the go-ahead run. 

Senior pinch hitter Sydney Zombo (Clinton Township, Michigan / Fraser) rounded out the scoring in the fifth with a sacrifice fly that sent senior Peyton Benjamin (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids) home. 

Senior Jennaka Bultman (Shawnee, Kansas / Shawnee Mission), who started the sixth inning off with a bang, nearly topped the outfield wall for a double, before Benjamin said "copy and paste" with a RBI double of her own to the outfield wall. Bultman crossed home plate to make the score 5-2.

Senior pitcher Samantha Vermeesch (Ithaca, Michigan / Ithaca), who entered in relief after freshman Hailey Mellec (Commerce Township, Michigan / Walled Lake Northern) took a ball off the hand on a line drive, silenced the Bulldogs through her 6.1 innings of work. 

Vermeesch allowed just two hits while striking out four in the win that sent Hope to a second day of MIAA tournament play. 

In game one against Calvin, the Flying Dutch struck back against their opponent, similar to game two's comeback, with a two-run triple from Benjamin that soared over the head of the Knights' left fielder. 

Pochmara and senior Grace Henry (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) crossed the plate to score, and tie the game, on Benjamin's wall-tapping triple in the top of the fifth. 

The Hope defense went back to work, keeping Calvin off the scoreboard through the remainder of the fifth inning, and the sixth inning, allowing just three hits and forcing three stranded base runners. 

"Our defense made a lot of good plays keeping us in it today," said Brander. 

Calvin's Carly Dole, however, gained her second RBI at-bat with a walk-off single up the middle.