Game 1 box score: Lake Erie 3, Hillsdale 1
Game 2 box score: Hillsdale 10, Lake Erie 6
Senior Sarah Grunert has been a terrific player on the Charger softball team from the moment she arrived on campus in the Fall of 2012. In her final plate appearances at home of her career, she had a day to remember.
Grunert hit home runs in each of her final two home at bats, one was a two-run shot to left the other a grand slam to right, to help Hillsdale to a 10-6 win over Lake Erie College in the nightcap of their Tuesday doubleheader.
The Storm played a flawless defensive first game, while taking advantage of Hillsdale errors, in a 3-1 decision in the opener, forcing the split.
Hillsdale is now 22-8 overall and 17-5 in the GLIAC.
Coming off an impressive three-day weekend that saw Hillsdale go 5-1, the Chargers struggled to capitalize on momentum throughout the first game. In that game, Hillsdale outhit Lake Erie 8-6, but stranded eight runners on base and committed three errors in the field, all of which led dirctly to Storm runs. All three of Lake Erie's runs in game 1 were unearned.
Junior Bekah Kastning led the offense by going 3-for-4 in game 1.
Grunert got her final home game started in style in the nightcap with a double off the fence in the first inning. After an Amanda Marra RBI single, Grunert scored on a wild pitch to give Hillsdale a 2-0 lead.
Lake Erie came back to take a 4-3 lead going into the sixth inning. Grunert then sent a rocket nearly over the trees in left field, scoring Ainsley Ellison to put Hillsdale back on top, 5-4.
The Chargers would score five more runs in the seventh, four coming on Grunert's grand slam. That hit was preceded by a bases-loaded single by Ellison that brought home senior Danielle Garceau.
Grunert was 4-for-5 with 4 runs scored and a career-high 6 RBI in the last home game of her career. Ellison was 2-for-4 with 3 runs scored, while Marra was 2-for-5. Kastning added a double, extending her school-record hitting streak to 23 games.
Senior Sarah Klopfer notched her 11th win of the season in the last home game of her fine career.
UP NEXT: Hillsdale takes on the University of Findlay for a noon doubleheader Saturday in Ohio.
PHOTO CREDIT: Kadie Lowery