In the final game of the Hillsdale College softball team's play in the annual The Spring Games invitational down in Daytona Beach, the Charger bats came to life.
Trailing 6-2 after a rough bottom of the second inning, Hillsdale outscored Pitt-Johnstown 9-0 the rest of the way to seal an 11-6 comeback win in the afternoon game on Thursday at the Auburndale Softball Complex.
Elaine Townley hit a RBI single in the top of the fifth to cap a four-run inning and give the Chargers the lead, and Madison Rathbun put an exclamation point on the victory in the bottom of the sixth with a grand slam to help put the game out of reach.
Rathbun's slam was part of a monster seven RBI contest for for the junior from Oak Harbor, Ohio, as Rathbun also hit a two-run single in the top of the second to give the Chargers an early lead, and added another RBI single in the fifth inning as part of a 3 for 4 perfomance at the plate.
Natalie Stepanenko added a RBI single, Renee Bielawa chipped in a sac fly RBI and Madison Stoner went 4 for 4 as well for the Chargers.
Sam Catron chipped in a double, Victoria Addis added two hits and drove in a run, and Bielawa and Carlin M. Gannon each added a stolen base.
Erin Gordon got the win on the mound for the Chargers, pitching five innings with two strikeouts, three hits and no earned runs. while Julia Sayles and Julia Mullins each pitched an inning of relief.
The victory was a cathartic one for the Chargers, coming off a tough loss to a red-hot Minnesota St.-Mankato team in a 8-4 game in the morning.
Stepanenko and Addis each hit a RBI double in back-to-back innings to cut Mankato's lead to 4-3 in the seventh and give Hillsdale a chance at pulling out the win.
But a four-run seventh for the Mavericks allowed Mankato to pull away and seal the victory.
Gannon and Catron each chipped in a RBI single as well for the Chargers in the loss, part of a nine-hit outing for Hillsdale.
Dana Weidinger took the loss on the mound for the Chargers, pitching three innings with four strikeouts and no walks while conceding six hits and two earned runs, and Mullins pitched 3 and a third innings as well, striking out one and giving up six hits and one earned run.
Hillsdale (4-16) is scheduled to travel to the Miami area to play Barry next in a doubleheader on Saturday, but the status of that game is up in the air after Thursday's news from the NCAA about the suspension of spring sports championships due to the coronavirus.
A final determination on Saturday's game, and on the remainder of the Chargers' season, will be made in the coming days.
Photo: Camryn Olson