Game 1 box score - Tiffin 1, HC 0
Game 2 box score - HC 10, Tiffin 4
For the first seven innings of its home season, the Hillsdale College softball team struggled to make contact with the ball, and ended up losing its home opener to Tiffin 1-0.
One pitch into the second game, any ills that werew plaguing the Chargers were cured.
Junior Sarah Grunert blasted the first pitch of game 2 over the center field fence, setting the tone for a 10-4 Hillsdale win over the visiting Dragons on a gorgeous, sunny day at Johnny Williams Field. Hillsdale is now 8-10 overall and 1-1 in the GLIAC.
Wednesday's GLIAC and home openers were the first game action Hillsdale had seen in 11 days, thanks to a pair of weekend cancellations. Only Grunert and sophomore Bekah Kastning had hits in the opener.
The Dragons scored the game's only run in the top of the fourth inning. The loss spoiled a dominant pitching performance by freshman Danielle Stiene, who made her home collegiate debut in the opener. She struck out 8 batters and scattered 6 hits in 7 innings of work. She finished the day with 13 Ks, a mark that included 5 in 3 innings of relief work in the nightcap.
Grunert picked up the win on the mound in game 2, and was 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and 4 RBI in the Chargers' win. She has four home runs on the season, tied for fourth in the conference.
Between the end of the first game and through most of the second game, Kastning belted out five consecutive hits, a rare achievement at any level of softball. She scored one run and raised her batting average to .458 on the season. That mark is also good for fourth in the GLIAC thus far in the season.
Junior Ainsley Ellison and senior Melissa Felkey each had two hits in Hillsdale's win, and senior Kate Ardrey had a double, 2 RBI and a run scored.
Photo by Chelsea Farrell