Fifth-year senior Dana Weidinger has been a dependable arm on the mound for the Hillsdale College softball team since she arrived as a freshman in 2017.
But Weidinger may be hitting another level as a pitcher in her final go-around in 2021. The Bath, Ohio native was named the G-MAC Pitcher of the Week for just the second time in her career for her performance this past week, the league office announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Weidinger had a strong performance in this past weekend's Lewis Flyer Dome Invite in Rosemont, Illinois, helping the Chargers go 2-3 and starting both of Hillsdale's wins.
The senior pitched a complete game in a 2-1 win over Lewis on Friday, striking out four batters, walking three, scattering six hits and giving up just one earned run in a narrow Charger victory, then got another win on Saturday, pitching four innings and striking out four hitters while conceding five hits and three earned runs in an 11-3 win over Ashland.
Weidinger finished the weekend by pitching well in her only loss, keeping the Chargers in the game in a 4-1 defeat to Saginaw Valley St., a team that's receiving votes in the NFCA Division II poll. Weidinger struck out two and gave up four hits and two earned runs, keeping the Chargers within one run of the lead until she was pulled before the start of the seventh inning.
For the season, Weidinger is 3-2 and has been the pitcher of record in evey Charger victory. She currently sports a 2.63 ERA with 14 strikeouts to 7 walks in 26.2 innings pitched.
In her career at Hillsdale, Weidinger has assembled a resume that puts her in the top 10 in all three major statistical categories for Charger pitchers. She's fourth all-time in innings pitched with 443.1 in her career, tied for fifth in wins with 35, and ninth in strikeouts with 249 through this weekend.
The Chargers are back in action this weekend, traveling to Glenville State in West Virginia for an invitational that includes five games, starting with a contest against the host team on Friday at 1 p.m.
Photo by Camryn Olson