Game 1 box score - #9 Grand Valley State 4, Hillsdale 2
Game 2 box score - #9 Grand Valley State 5, Hillsdale 1
April 26, 2013 - Playing the number-9 ranked team in the nation, the Hillsdale College softball team battled hard to the end before taking a loss in the first game of its doubleheader Friday.
The Chargers lost a close battle with No. 9 Grand Valley State University 4-2 in the first game of the twinbill. The Lakers also won game 2 5-1, dropping Hillsdale to 11-18 overall on the season. The Chargers take on Ferris State University in Big Rapids starting at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Lakers are now 31-4 on the season.
Hillsdale took leads of 1-0 and 2-1 early in the game before the Lakers scored three in the bottom of the fifth inning to provide the game's final margin. Junior Kristi Gordon got Hillsdale on the board with an RBI groundout, while Taylor Schulty drove in her 27th run of the season in the top of the fifth inning.
Freshman Sarah Grunert pitched all seven innings and yielded just two earned runs to the GLIAC's most powerful offense. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a run.
In game two, Grunert provided the team's only run, on a sacrifice fly that scored freshman Sarah Klopfer.
Freshman Ainsley Ellison and senior Miriam McKay each went 2-for-3 in the game, but were stranded on base all four times they reached base.
The Lakers hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning to take a lead they never relinquished.