Game 1 box score: Northwood 8, Hillsdale 3
Game 2 box score: Hillsdale 7, Northwood 4
Momentum clearly favored each team in Saturday's GLIAC softball doubleheader between Hillsdale College and Northwood University. At first, it favored the Timberwolves, as the visitors used timely hitting to secure an 8-3 win over the Chargers in the first game. But Hillsdale started to find its way with the bats at the end of game 1, and carried that momentum over into game 2, when it took a 5-0 lead en route to a 7-4 victory.
The Chargers are now 8-4 overall and 3-1 in the GLIAC, while the Timberwolves are 10-10 and 1-3.
Northwood scored multiple runs in each of the first three innings of game 1, taking a commanding 7-0 lead. In several innings, the Chargers threatened, but were unable to get that extra hit that means the difference between a rally and a deflating zero on the scoreboard. Hillsdale left 12 runners on base in the first game.
Freshman Amanda Marra was terrific at the plate all day Saturday, and she got it started with a 2-for-4 game in the opener. Sophomore Haley Lawrence was also productive, going 2-for-4 in the opener. The Chargers scored all three of their runs in the final three innings of the loss.
But in game 2, Hillsdale wasted little time in taking the lead, plating three in the opening frame. Junior Cassie Asselta lined a two-run triple, and later scored on a wild pitch to put Hillsdale on top early.
Sophomore Kelsey Gockman's RBI single grew the lead to 4-0 in the second, and junior Bekah Kastning followed with a sacrifice fly, scoring senior Ainsley Ellison to increase the lead to 5-0.
Although Northwood responded with three runs in the bottom of the second, but would get no closer, as senior pitcher Sarah Klopfer won her second game in as many days.
Klopfer was able to limit damage in the innings when Northwood would get runners on, and she located her pitches well throughout the win. She struck out five batters, improving to 3-3 on the season.
Kastning was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a run batted in, giving her eight hits on the weekend and improving her batting average to .447 for the season.
Marra had her second straight two-hit game in the nightcap while Asselta was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored.
UP NEXT: Hillsdale heads to Tiffin for a mid-week doubleheader against the Dragons in Ohio Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
PHOTO CREDIT: Kadie Lowery