The Hope College softball team slipped back into a third-place tie in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association standings after losing at Calvin 4-3 and 9-7 in nine innings on Wednesday.

The Flying Dutch (20-16 overall) are tied for third with Saint Mary's with 9-5 league records. Both lead fifth-place Calvin by two games with two games remaining.

Hope can clinch a berth in next week's MIAA Tournament on Saturday with one win from a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Adrian (11-18, 4-8 MIAA).

Also, on Saturday, Saint Mary's (19-14) hosts Trine (25-10, 12-2), while Calvin (21-13, 7-7) is at Olivet (16-14, 3-9).

Alma (27-7, 12-2) and Trine have earned their spots in postseason play after splitting their doubleheader on Wednesday.

In Game 1, sophomore pitcher Sydney Jones of South Lyon, Michigan (South Lyon East HS) struck out four batters to match her career-high of 122 strikeouts for the season. Only Andrea Adams has more at Hope with 156 in 2002.

Jones (6-9) shut out Calvin for five innings before she faced five batters in the bottom of the sixth and was charged with four runs allowed.

Rightfielder Sammi Adams of Griffith, Indiana (Griffith HS) gave the Flying Dutch a 3-0 lead in the top half of the inning with a two-run triple. Hope finished with four hits in the game.

In Game 2, Adams sent the game to extra innings with a seventh-inning double that plated Sarah Jones of Norton Shores, Michigan (Mona Shores HS) after a Calvin error on the play.

The Knights, however, struck for two runs on four hits in the top of the ninth against relieverKatie Singer (3-3) of Howell, Michigan (Hartland HS) for a lead they would not relinquish.

Third baseman Katrina Ellis of Goodrich, Michigan (Goodrich HS) and leftfielder Noelle Jackson of Grand Blanc, Michigan (Grand Blanc HS) collected three hits apiece for Hope.

Second baseman Sierra Mutschler of Wayland, Michigan (Wayland HS), shortstop Jenna Maury of Lawton, Michigan (Lawton HS) and Adams finished with two hits apiece. 

Hope is scheduled to play a nonleague doubleheader on Thursday, April 28 at 3:30 p.m. against Manchester, Indiana at Wolters Stadium.