A crucial and busy week of games commenced for the Charger softball team Tuesday afternoon at home. The first test was passed with flying colors.
A pair of strong pitching performances sprung Hillsdale to a sweep of the University of Findlay by scores of 4-1 and 5-0. The wins get the Chargers back to .500, both overall (15-15) and in the GLIAC (6-6).
The softball team is back home Wednesday afternoon, hosting Ohio Dominican.
In game 1, junior Sarah Grunert picked up her second win of the season, a gritty effort in which she did allow eight hits, but was very effective at getting outs at the most important times in the game. The Oilers stranded nine runners on base in the 4-1 contest, thanks in large part to error-free defense by the Chargers, and Grunert's steady pitching regardless of the baserunner situation.
Hillsdale scored all four of its runs in the game's first three innings. Sophomore Bekah Kastning, the team's leading hitter, drove in a run with a groundout, while junior Danielle Garceau, one of the team's hottest hitters of late, doubled home Grunert in the first.
Junior Julia Kosco and senior Kate Ardrey added RBI hits in the second and third innings, respectively.
In game 2, freshman pitcher Danielle Stiene was simply overwhelming, tossing a two-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts. She didn't allow a hit through the first six innings of the game, and yielded just three baserunners in the entire game.
Grunert had a big game at the plate in the nightcap, belting a solo home run followed by a two-run double that gave the Chargers important breathing room in the sixth inning. Grunert entered Hillsdale's career and single-season top 10 list in home runs with her sixth round-tripper of the season, and 11th of her career.
Junior Sarah Klopfer hammered two doubles as part of a 3-for-4 game at the plate. Freshman Jessica Taylor had a hit and a run scored for the winning team.