The Hillsdale College softball team kicked off its annual Florida trip with a special experience on Friday night, playing a doubleheader at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, the home of the Minor League Daytona Tortugas.
And while the Chargers played well defensively to give themselves a shot against a talented Flagler squad, Hilsldale was unable to capitalize on opportunities at the plate in 3-0 and 4-2 losses on Friday.
Two runs in the top of the first gave Flagler an edge it never relinquished in a 3-0 victory in the first game.
The Chargers had chances to get back in the game, putting a runner on base in every single inning, including two with the tying run at the plate in the sixth inning and just one out.
But Hillsdale couldn't find the timely hit to drive in baserunners, stranding five in the contest.
Sophomore Renee Bielawa opened the game with a leadoff triple and was 3 for 3 at the plate to lead the Chargers offensively, and sophomore Elaine Townley was 2 for 3 as well.
After the first inning, senior pitcher Dana Weidinger settled in nicely and kept the Chargers in the game with a strong performance in the later innings.
Weidinger pitched a complete game with four strikeouts and one walk, while conceding eight hits and one earned run.
Hillsdale committed just one error in the game, but it was a critical one, a throwing error on the first Flagler at-bat that allowed the Knights to score both of their first two runs.
The second game was a similar story for the Chargers, as Flagler jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first to seize control early.
Although Hillsdale continued to struggle to find hits at the plate, the Chargers took advantage of Flagler miscues, to close the gap, scoring a run on an error in the first inning, then after back-to-back walks to open the bottom of the second, tying the game at 2 on a groundout by Bielawa to second that scored Reagan Gensiejewski.
The Knights retook the lead with a run in the third and added an insurance run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to take a 4-2 lead, and after scraping those two runs acroos in the first two innings, Hillsdale was unable to take advantage of its baserunners in the final five innings.
Down to its final two outs, Hillsdale was able to muster a comeback, putting runners at first and second and a potential game-winning run at the plate, but the Chargers couldn't find the hit necessary to push those runs across.
Townley led the Chagers at the plate with two hits, Victoria Addis went 1 for 1 as well, and Bielawa and Emma Johnson each added a RBI for Hillsdale.
Junior Julia Sayles had a solid performance on the mound for the Chargers, going six innings and conceding six hits and three earned runs in the loss, and junior Julia Mullins pitched one inning of relief, striking out one and walking one.
Hillsdale (1-9) can feel good about the way its pitching and defense held up against one of the best teams in the Peach Belt Conference, and the Chargers have plenty of softball still to play over the next week and a busy weekend ahead, starting with games against Ferris St. at 1:45 p.m. and Rockhurst at 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Auburndale Sports Complex in Jan Phyll Village, Florida.
Photo: Brad Monastiere