The Charger softball team is looking for rings.
Hillsdale College will play for a conference tournament championship for the first timein its history Saturday, after winning a winner's bracket game, 4-0, over Kentucky Wesleyan Friday afternoon in Xenia, Ohio. Hillsdale is 23-14 on the season and will take on whoever emerges from the group of Findlay, Ohio Dominican and Kentucky Wesleyan.
This remarkable postseason run added another chapter thanks to some big-time performances from the freshman class. One player kept up an historic run while another stepped up at the most crucial time.
Pitcher Erin Hunt has been lights-out in this tournament. She threw her third shutout in three games, this time striking out eight Panther players while allowing just three hits and two walks. Her 18 wins are now tied for second-most in a season in school history, and in three tournament games, she has 30 strikeouts and hasn't allowed a run in 20 innings.
The game experienced a 25-minute rain delay in the second inning, with two runners on for Hillsdale. That's when another freshman, Natalie Walters, answered the bell.
As soon as play resumed, she launched a three-run home run to left, giving the Chargers a 3-0 lead. This was her second home run of the season, but by far her biggest.
The next inning, Kelsey Gockman singled home Amanda Marra to make it a 4-0 Charger lead.
Junior Katie Kish was 2-for-4, while Victoria Addis and Jessica Taylor also picked up base hits.