Overall Record: 17-20-1
MIAA Record: 9-7 (Fifth Place)

2012 Statistics

SEASON RECORD: 17-20-1 / MIAA: 9-7

EARLY SEASON (0-4)
Friday-Saturday, Feb. 24-25
Finlandia Tournament
at Superior Dome, Marquette, Mich.
Friday, Feb. 24, Carthage 7, Hope 5 (8) box
Friday, Feb. 24, Finlandia 5, Hope 3 box
Saturday, Feb. 25, UW-Oshkosh 3, Hope 1 box
Saturday, Feb. 25, Dubuque, Iowa 4, Hope 3 box

SPRING BREAK (5-5)
March 17-23 in Clermont,Florida
Saturday, March 17, Hope 2, Benedictine, Ill. 0 box
Saturday, March 17, Tufts, Mass. 6, Hope 2 box
Monday, March 19, St. Thomas, Minn. 11, Hope 5 box
Monday, March 19, Babson, Mass. 15, Hope 14 (8) box
Tuesday, March 20, Hope 8, Bowdoin 0 box
Tuesday, March 20, Hope 5, Frostburg, Md. 4 (8) box
Thursday, March 22, Hope 10, Plymouth State, N.H. 0 (5) box
Thursday, March 22, Hope 8, Williams, Mass. 4 box
Friday, March 23, UW-Eau Claire 8, Hope (5) box
Friday, March 23, Ramapo, N.J. 5, Hope 3 box

REGULAR SEASON (12-11-1)
Tuesday, March 27, Wheaton 11, Hope 8 box / Hope 7, Wheaton 6 box
Thursday, March 29, Hope 6, Aquinas 2 box / Hope 4, Aquinas 3 box
Wednesday, April 4, *Alma 4, Hope 2 (8) box / Alma 7, Hope 2 box
Saturday, April 7, *Hope 12, Kalamazoo 5 box / Hope 7, Kalamazoo 1 box
Wednesday, April 11, *St. Mary's 3, Hope 0 box / Hope 9, St. Mary's 7 (11) box
Saturday, April 14, *Trine 9, Hope 1 (6) box / Trine 15, Hope 4 box
Tuesday, April 17, *Adrian 1, Hope 0 box / Hope 3, Adrian 2 box
Thursday, April 19, *Hope 11, Calvin 3 (5) box / Hope 9, Calvin 6 box
Saturday, April 21, Chicago 9, Hope 3 box / Chicago 1, Hope 0 box
Monday, April 23, Davenport 5, Hope 4 (9) box / Hope 16, Davenport 16 (tie) box
Wednesday, April 25, *Hope 12, Albion 3 (5) box / Hope 7, Albion 2 (box
Saturday, April 28, *Olivet 6, Hope 0 box / Hope 11, Olivet 5 box
* MIAA Doubleheader

2012 Season in Review

Laura Tjepkema Named Academic All-American (5/22/12)
Hope junior Laura Tjepkema of Dorr (South Christian HS) has been named a 2012 Capital One Softball Academic All-American. An education major with a special education emphasis, Tjepkema has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average while achieving all-conference honors in softball. continue

MIAA Softball Honors Presented to Four Hope Players (5/7/12)
All-MIAA Team
Four members of the Hope softball team have received All-MIAA honors. Senior shortstop Brooke Nienhuis of Zeeland (Zeeland East HS) and junior rightfielder Laura Tjepkema of Dorr (South Christian HS) have been named to the All-MIAA first team while sophomore catcher Emma Page of Portage (Portage Central HS) and freshman first baseman Peyton Wells of Rockford (Rockford HS) have received All-MIAA second team recognition.

Flying Dutch Split; Tournament Fate Remains Undetermined (4/28/12)
Olivet 6, Hope 0 / Hope 11, Olivet 5
It is a waiting game now for the Flying Dutch who on Saturday split a home doubleheader with Olivet and must now await the outcome of other teams' league games to determine Hope's fate in the conference tournament. The top four teams advance to the NCAA qualifier. Trine and Alma are in the tournament while Adrian, Saint Mary's and the Flying Dutch are still on the bubble. Hope finished the league campaign with a 9-7 record while Adrian and Saint Mary's are each 9-5 with one doubleheader remaining. Saturday's split left the Flying Dutch with a 17-20-1 season record.

After being blanked in the opener, the Flying Dutch came alive offensively in the nightcap behind leadoff hitter Brooke Nienhuis who batted 4-for-5. Nienhuis collected a school-record 30 hits in league games this spring and has 61 for the season, the third highest ever. She had 18 multi-hit games, including nine with three-or-more.

Flying Dutch Keeps Tournament Chances Alive (4/25/12)
Hope 12, Albion 3 / Hope 7, Albion 2
The Flying Dutch kept alive their chances of playing in the conference tournament by sweeping a doubleheader over Albion on Wednesday. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch won the opener 12-3 in a game called in the fifth inning because of the mercy rule and then took the nightcap 7-2.

The top four teams in the regular season MIAA standings will advance to the conference tournament. The Flying Dutch are in fifth place with an 8-6 mark. Hope (16-19-1 overall) needs to sweep a home doubleheader on Saturday against Olivet and then hope that Alma can do the same against Saint Mary's. That scenario would move Hope into fourth and advance them to the NCAA qualifier.

Trailing 3-1 in the top of the second inning of the opener, the Flying Dutch scored 11 unanswered runs over their next four at-bats to claim the victory. In the nightcap the Flying Dutch snapped a 2-2 tie in the fifth with a pair of runs.

Senior leadoff hitter Brooke Nienhuis had a career day batting 6-for-7, including 4-for-4 in the second game. She raised her team-leading season battintg average to .439. Her batting average in league games is .490.

Hope pitchers limited Albion to four hits in each game. Jess Kohlhoff (9-11) went the distance in the opener while Olivia Vacik (6-7) and Natalie Hiser combined for the victory in the nightcap.

Sophomore catcher Emma Page had a pair of homeruns in the opener to raise her season total to five while freshman Peyton Wells cleared the outfield fence with her third homerun of the year in the nightcap.

Flying Dutch Play Marathon Games (4/23/12)
Davenport 5, Hope 4 (9) / Hope 16, Davenport 16 (tie)
The Flying Dutch played a pair of marathon games against first-time non-league opponent Davenport on Monday. The visiting Panthers won the opener in nine innings 5-4. Darkness was the winner in the nightcap as the teams played to a 16-16 tie. Hope stands 14-19-1 on the season.

The second game was one for the history books as the teams combined for 30 hits and took advantage of 17 walks in a contest that took two hours, 40 minutes before it was called.

Leadoff hitter Brooke Nienhuis collected five hits in the doubleheader to raise her season batting average to .407 while Laura Tjepkema had four hits along with five RBIs. Freshman catcher Adalee Robertson batted 3-for-3 and scored three times in the second game.

Flying Dutch Bow Twice at Chicago (4/21/12)
Chicago 9, Hope 3 / Chicago 1, Hope 0
The Flying Dutch were defeated twice by host University of Chicago on Saturday, 9-3 and 1-0. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch have a 14-17 season record heading into three home doubleheaders next week beginning Monday.

Hope did not have a multi-hit player in either game. In the opener Emma Page hit her third homerun of the season. In the nightcap the only run came in the fourth. Olivia Vacik pitched a strong game throwing a three-hitter and facing only two batters over the minimum. Hope, however, had just two singles.

Flying Dutch Sweep Rival Calvin (4/19/12)
Hope 11, Calvin 3 / Hope 9, Calvin 6
The Flying Dutch swept a doubleheader from rival Calvin Thursday 11-3 in five innings and 9-6. Coach Mary VandeHoef's Flying Dutch are 6-6 against MIAA opponents and 14-16.

The Flying Dutch won the games in different ways. In the opener Hope scored six runs in the first inning enroute to a five-inning mercy victory but in the nightcap needed to overcome a two-run Calvin lead with a five-run rally in the sixth.

Jess Kohlhoff pitched the opening game victory helping her own cause was a pair of hits including a homerun along with four RBIs. Hope collected 13 hits in the opener with six players collecting two. Emma Page also homered while leadoff hitter Brooke Nienhuis stole a pair of bases.

In the nightcap Hope trailed 6-4 in the sixth inning. The Flying Dutch rallied with five runs behind just one hit. Brooke Nienhuis batted 3-for-4 while Emma Page was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Reliever Natalie Hiser collected her first victory.

Flying Dutch Split One-Run Games at Adrian (4/17/12)
Adrian 1, Hope 0 / Hope 3, Adrian 2
The Flying Dutch split a pair of one-run games at Adrian on Tuesday. The host Bulldogs eeked out a 1-0 victory in the opener while the Flying Dutch gained a 3-2 triumph in the nightcap. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Flying Dutch have a 4-6 record in MIAA play and are 12-16 overall.

Adrian 1, Hope 0: The Flying Dutch were not without their opportunities as they stranded 11 baserunners in suffering the shutout defeat. Junior Jess Kohlhoff (7-10) suffered the tough pitching loss. Catcher Emma Page had two of Hope's six hits.

Hope 3, Adrian 2: The Flying Dutch won with clutch hitting and outstanding defense. Emma Page's two-run homer snapped a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning. Adrian got one run back in the seventh and had the bases loaded with just one out when the Flying Dutch executed an exciting game-ending double play. Here's how the Adrian scorer described the play: "Brooke Stewart then stepped to the plate for the Bulldogs, which had the bases loaded, down one run, and only one out. The freshman cranked a line drive to Jess Kohlhoff in left field. Kohlhoff was able to make the second out, but an errant throw into the infield made Macy Pennington break for home from third. The catcher Emma Page was able to track the ball down and flip it to the pitcher Natalie Kiser who was covering home for the 7-2-1 game-ending double-play."

Flying Dutch Swept in MIAA Twinbill by Trine (4/14/12)
Trine 9, Hope 1 / Trine 15, Hope 4
The Flying Dutch lost a road doubleheader at Trine on Saturday, 9-1 and 15-4. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Flying Dutch slip to 3-5 in the MIAA and are 11-15 overall.

Marathon Nightcap Gains Flying Dutch Doubleheader Split (4/11/12)
SM 3, Hope 0 / Hope 9, SM 7 (11)
Hope and Saint Mary's entered Wednesday's MIAA doubleheader tied in the conference standings. They ended the day still tied after splitting the twinbill at Wolters Stadium. The visiting Belles won the opener behind a five-hit shutout 3-0. Hope took the nightcap in a marathon 11 inning contest 9-7. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Flying Dutch are 3-3 in conference games and stand 11-13 on the season.

The drama-filled second game was one for the memory books. The Flying Dutch led 5-0 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but yielded five unearned runs to send the game into extra innings. Each team scored a run in the ninth and tenth innings. With darkness settling in, Hope got the game-winners in the 11th, first on an RBI sacrifice fly by Laura Tjepkema and the second off an RBI single by Peyton Wells. The game featured 31 hits, 10 fielding errors and 29 stranded baserunners.

Jess Kohlhoff got both pitching decisions, the loss as the first game starter and the victory in relief. She helped her own cause in the victory with a homerun. Hope's 16-hit effort in the nightcap was led by Tjepkema and Wells who each had three hits. Leadoff hitter Brooke Nienhuis had three doubles in the twinbill.

Flying Dutch Sweep Hornets to Go .500 in MIAA (4/7/12)
Hope 12, Kalamazoo 5 / Hope 7, Kalamazoo 1
The Flying Dutch swept a doubleheader over host Kalamazoo on Saturday, 12-5 and 7-1, to even their conference record at 2-2. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch are 10-12 on the season. The Flying Dutch collected 29 hits in the doubleheader including a 7-for-7 performance by freshman Peyton Wells. The first baseman was 4-for-4 in the first game and 3-for-3 in the nightcap collecting two doubles, a homerun and four RBIs. In the opener Kalamazoo led 5-2 after three innings, but Hope came back with 10 unanswered runs. In the nightcap the Flying Dutch counted six doubles. Jess Kohlhoff pitched a five-hitter in the opener while Olivia Vacik scattered six hits in the nightcap. Other offensive highlights included Brooke Nienhuis and Laura Tjepkema each batting 3-for-4 in the opener and Emma Page going 3-for-4 in the second game.

Flying Dutch Bow to Defending MIAA Champions (4/4/12)
Alma 4, Hope 2 (8) / Alma 7, Hope 2
Defending MIAA champion Alma spoiled Hope's league debut Wednesday sweeping a doubleheader. In the opener the visiting Scots came from behind to edge the Flying Dutch 4-2 in eight innings. In the nightcap Alma jumped out to a six-run lead enroute to a 7-2 victory. Coach Mary Vander Hoef's Flying Dutch have an 8-12 season record.
Alma 4, Hope 2 (8): The Flying Dutch stranded 10 baserunners while Alma took advantage of the long-ball, hitting a homerun to tie the game in the seventh inning and then getting the game-winner with a two-run blast in the eighth. Jess Kohlhoff pitched well going the complete game. Catcher Emma Page had a pair of singles.
Alma 7, Hope 2: The Scots jumped out to a six run lead after two innings. Hope scored singles runs in the fourth and sixth innings. First baseman Peyton Wells batted 3-for-3 with a double. Starter Olivia Vacik suffered the pitching loss.

Flying Dutch Get Doubleheader Sweep Over Aquinas (3/29/12)
Hope 6, Aquinas 2 / Hope 4, Aquinas 3
The Flying Dutch inched closer to the .500 mark by sweeping a non-league doubleheader over host Aquinas on Thursday. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch won the opener 6-2 behind a 13-hit attack and captured the nightcap 4-3 behind a big inning. Since returning from Florida the Flying Dutch are 3-1 and stand 8-10 overall.

Hope had two complete game pitching performances from Jess Kohlhoff (5-6) and Olivia Vacik (3-4).

In the opener leadoff batter Brooke Nienhuis was 3-for-4 while Stephanie Faber, Laura Tjepkema, Peyton Wells and Kristin Higgs each had a pair of hits.

Hope scored all of its four runs in its sixth inning. The tying and go-ahead runs were unearned off an Aquinas fielding error. Emma Page had a pair of hits for the Dutch.

Walkoff Homerun Highlights Doubleheader Split (3/27/12)
Wheaton 11, Hope 8 / Hope 7, Wheaton 6
A dramatic game-ending walkoff homerun allowed the Flying Dutch to gain a doubleheader split with visiting Wheaton on Tuesday. The Thunder won the opener in a slugfest as the teams combined for 19 hits, 11-8. Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Dutch battled back twice to win the nightcap 7-6. Hope is 6-10 of the season.

Wheaton led 3-1 in the sixth inning of the nightcap when Brooke Nienhuis hit a grand slam to put Hope ahead 5-3. The Thunder scored three times in the top of the seventh to go ahead 6-5. Wells highlighted a 3-for-3 game with her first collegiate homerun to score the victory. Olivia Vacik pitched the complete game victory.

In the opener Stephanie Faber had a pair of his, including a homerun while Kristin Higgs added a single and double. Starter Jess Kohlhoff suffered the loss.

Flying Dutch Extend Winning Streak to Four Games (3/22/12)
The Flying Dutch extended their winning streak to four in-a-row by posting a pair of victories in Florida on Thursday. In the opener, junior Jess Kohlhoff pitched her third shutout victory of the week as the Flying Dutch blanked Plymouth State 10-0 in an abbreviated five inning contest. The Flying Dutch improved to 5-3 on their Florida by defeating Williams 8-4 in the day's second game. Coach Mary Vande Hoef Dutch have a 5-7 season record with two games remaining to be played in Florida on Friday.

Kohlhoff scattered five hits in the Plymouth win, walking none and striking out one. Stephanie Faber batted 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two stolen bases. Freshmen Kelsey Cooper and Peyton Wells each had two hits. Kohlhoff helped her own cause with a three-run homer.

Kohloff and freshman Olivia Vacik combined to pitch the victory over Williams. Wells batted 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs while Kristin Higgs was 2-for-3.

Flying Dutch Sweep Opponents in Florida (3/21/12)
The Flying Dutch posted a pair of victories over opponents in Florida on Tuesday. In the opener, junior Jess Kohlhoff pitched her second shutout victory of the young season in blanking Bowdoin 8-0. The Flying Dutch followed with an extra inning 5-4 victory over Frostburg, Md.

Kohlhoff threw a two-hitter against Bowdoin striking out seven and walking none. Hope's 11-hit attack was led by Emma Page and Laura Tjepkema who each had a pair of doubles. Brooke Nienhuis and Stephanie Faber each had two singles.

Kristin Higg's bases-loaded double brought home two runs in the eighth inning to put Hope ahead against Frostburg. In the bottom of the eighth Frostburg had runners on second and third when Stephanie Faber came up with the defensive play of the game snagging a line drive that preserve the win. Starter Olivia Vacik gained the victory with Kohlhoff credited for a save. Collecting two hits apiece were Brooke Nienhuis, Laura Tjepkema and Kristin Higgs each had two hits.

Flying Dutch Bow Twice in Florida (3/19/12)
The Flying Dutch suffered a pair of losses in games played Monday in Florida. St. Thomas, Minn. defeated Hope 11-5 in the day's first game while Babson, Mass. outlasted the Flying Dutch 15-14 in eight innings. Hope has a 1-7 season record.

Against St. Thomas, the Flying Dutch had a 5-3 lead, but the ranked Tommies came back with eight unanswered runs behind a 16-hit attack. Kristin Higgs and Stephanie Faber each had a pair of hits for the Flying Dutch. Jess Kohlhoff suffered the pitching loss. Against Babson the Flying Dutch raliied with a four-run seventh inning to force the extra stanza. Babson scored four times in the top of the eighth and Hope came back with three, but came up short stranding runners on second and third. Hope had a season-best 14 hits led by Emma Page who was 4-for-4 with five RBIs. Collecting two hits apiece were Brooke Nienhuis, Stephanie Faber, Jess Kohlhoff and Peyton Wells. Kohlhoff suffered the pitching loss in relief.

Flying Dutch Split Opening Games in Florida (3/17/12)
Hope split their first spring break games in Florida on Saturday. In the opener coach Mary Vandehoef's Flying Dutch defeated Benedictine, Ill. 2-0 behind the complete game, four-hit pitching of junior Jess Kohlhoff. She walked four and struck out none. Stephanie Faber drove-in both Hope's runs on RBI singles in the third and fifth innings. Both runs were scored by Kelsey Cooper. Tufts, Mass. defeated Hope 6-2 in the second game behind a 14-hit attack. Hope had just four singles in the game. Freshman starter Olivia Vacik took the loss. Hope is now 1-5 on the season.

Flying Dutch Bow in Season-Opening Games (2/25/12)
Carthage 7, Hope 5 (8) / Finlandia 5, Hope 3
UW-Oshkosh 3, Hope 1 / Dubuque, Ia. 4, Hope 3
Hope struggled in its early-season game suffering four losses this weekend in contests played indoors at the Superior Dome in Marquette, Mich. On Friday the Flying Dutch were defeated by Carthage, Wisc. 7-5 in eight innings and by ost Finlandia 5-3. On Saturday Hope was defeated by WU-Oshkosh 3-1 and edged by Dubuque, Iowa 4-3.

Flying Dutch Pegged for Fourth in MIAA Pre-Season Poll (2/25/12)
MIAA softball coaches are predicting that the Flying Dutch will finish fourth in the conference race this spring. Two-time defending champion Alma has been picked to repeat in the league's first-ever preseason poll. The Flying Dutch finished second in the 2011 MIAA standings and posted an overall 25-15 record. Poll Results (first-place votes in parenthesis): 1. Alma (2) 14 pts, 2. Adrian (4) 17, 2. Trine (3) 17, 4. Hope 28, 5. Saint Mary's 38, 6. Albion 44, 7. Olivet 47, 8. Calvin 55, 9. Kalamazoo 64.