March 10 Box Scores
#10 LIU-Post 4, Hillsdale 2
Minnesota State-Mankato 9, Hillsdale 0
March 10 Recap
Playing their second top-10 team in as many days, the Chargers fell behind early, but again hung tough with one of the best teams they'll play all season.
Hillsdale lost to LIU-Post 4-2 in Winter Haven, Fla., as part of the Rebel Spring Games.
The Chargers scratched out three hits on the day, two of them coming from the bat of freshman shortstop Bekah Kastning. She had a single in her first at bat, then slammed a two-run double in the fifth inning, scoring sophomore Ainsley Ellison and junior Melissa Felkey. The team's other hit came from Felkey, who got the rally started with a one-out double in the fifth.
Kastning has a single, double and a triple in Hillsdale's last two games. Sophomore Sarah Klopfer pitched 5 2/3 innings of scoreless work in relief, striking out three.
In Monday's second game, the Chargers lost to Minnesota State-Mankato 9-0 in five innings. The Mavericks scored four times in the first to take a commanding lead.
Junior Kate Ardrey had a double, which was Hillsdale's only hit of the contest.
March 9 Box Scores
Hillsdale 3, Northern State 1
March 9 Recap
The Hillsdale College softball team finally got its season started Sunday afternoon, and the wait was worth it.
Thanks to some big hits by junior Courtney Day (pictured) and a brilliant pitching performance by junior Kate Ardrey, the Chargers defeated Northern State 3-1 in its season opener.
Later in the day, Hillsdale hung tough with No. 7-ranked Augustana College before losing 3-2.
Day slammed a double and a home run to lead the Hillsdale offense in the win over NSU. Freshman catcher Jessica Knepper, making her collegiate debut, went 2-for-3 for the Chargers. Day hit her home run in the bottom of the sixth, giving Hillsdale an important insurance run.
Ardrey won in her season debut, going all seven innings with three strikeouts and just one run allowed.
Against Augustana, the teams played to a scoreless draw through three innings. Augustana scored one run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, while the Chargers plated two in the top of the fifth. Freshman catcher Cassie Asselta doubled home Courtney Day to get Hillsdale on the board. Two batters later, freshman Bekah Kastning brought home fellow rookie Jessie Fox on a fielder's choice.
Kastning had a triple in the first inning, while sophomores Ainsley Ellison and Sarah Grunert each had two hits in the loss.
Not only was Augustana ranked seventh in the nation, this was the team's 11th game of the season, compared to the second for the Chargers.