Game 1 box score: Hillsdale 10, Northwood 1 (5 inn.)
Game 2 box score: Hillsdale 7, Northwood 6
Saturday's two wins by the Hillsdale College softball team came in very different fashion, but were equally crucial in helping the team's steady rise up the GLIAC standings.
The Chargers picked up two huge road wins, defeating Northwood University 10-1 and 7-6 Saturday afternoon in Midland. Hillsdale is now 17-16 overall and 7-3 in the GLIAC and in sole possession of second place.
In Saturday's opener, Hillsdale blew up for three runs in the second and six more in the third to grab command of the game from the Timberwolves. The team's power was in full effect during its nine-run explosion.
Freshman Sydney San Juan came through with a two-run single that scored sophomores Amanda Marra and Katie Kish to finish off the three-run second for the Chargers. But more fireworks were to come.
Freshman Sam Catron launched a three-run home run in the third inning to break the game open, her second round-tripper of the season. Marra followed in the next at-bat with her first career home run, a solo shot to left to make the score 7-1.
Catron was 2-for-3 with a career-high 4 RBI, and Kish was 2-for-2 with three runs scored for the Chargers. San Juan's 3 RBI were also a single-game career-high.
Game two started out very differently, as the Timberwolves held a 5-1 lead after 1 ½ innings. Northwood scored two in the top of the first and three more in the top of the second to take a big lead. But the Chargers battled back impressively, scoring once in each of the first three innings before breaking out for four in the fourth.
Senior Bekah Kastning, the GLIAC's second-leading hitter, got the rally started with a double that scored Jessica Taylor. Junior Kelsey Gockman and freshman Victoria Addis followed with outs that scored runs before Catron came through again with an RBI double that scored Kish with the game-winning run.
Senior Cassie Asselta, recently moved to the top of the batting order, justified that decision with a season-best 4-for-4 day at the plate, scoring a run. Kish matched her 4-for-4 performance, driving in a run and scoring a run. That was a career high for hits in a single game for Kish, a sophomore outfielder.
Catron was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI while Kastning was 1-for-4 with a run scored and a run batted in.
Freshman pitcher Dana Weidinger got a win and a save in the doubleheader sweep, coming into the second game late while freshman Erin Gordon got the team through the middle innings, as Hillsdale was mounting a comeback. Weidinger struck out eight batters in her game one win, and Gordon picked up her third win of the season in the nightcap.