SCHEDULE:
Hillsdale College (20-12, 8-2 G-MAC) at Trevecca Nazarene (14-6, 6-0 G-MAC) | 1 p.m CT Saturday, April 17 | Trojan Softball Complex – Nashville, TN | Live Stats | Watch
Hillsdale College (20-12, 8-2 G-MAC) at Trevecca Nazarene (14-6, 6-0 G-MAC) | 3 p.m CT Saturday, April 17 | Trojan Softball Complex – Nashville, TN | Live Stats | Watch
Hillsdale College (20-12, 8-2 G-MAC) at Kentucky Wesleyan (7-16, 3-7 G-MAC) | 12 p.m CT Saturday, April 18 | Foster Field – Owensboro, KY | Live Stats | Watch
Hillsdale College (20-12, 8-2 G-MAC) at Kentucky Wesleyan (7-16, 3-7 G-MAC) | 2 p.m CT Saturday, April 18 | Foster Field – Owensboro, KY | Live Stats | Watch
Ohio Valley (0-14, 0-10 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (20-12, 8-2 G-MAC) | 3 p.m ET Tuesday, April 20 | Johnny Williams Field – Hillsdale, MI | Live Stats
Ohio Valley (0-14, 0-10 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (20-12, 8-2 G-MAC) | 5 p.m ET Tuesday, April 20 | Johnny Williams Field – Hillsdale, MI | Live Stats
Outlook: At 8-2 and in second place in the G-MAC standings, the Chargers have a big opportunity this weekend to throw the title race into chaos when it travels to conference leader Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday.
Taking down the Trojans, winners of 13 straight since a 1-5 start and 6-0 in the G-MAC, is easier said than done, however. Trevecca has an excellent offense built around senior infielder MaKray Odom, who's hitting .515 with four doubles and 12 RBIs.
Sophomore infielder/pitcher Carly Sperlich and freshman Malone Thrift bring power to the Trojan lineup with a combined 10 doubles and seven home runs on the season, and junior outfielder/catcher Lenna Robinson is hitting .373 as well for Trevecca.
On the mound, the Trojans have leaned heavily on senior Raygn Hall and sophomore Alexis Behnke. Hall shook off a slow start and is currently 7-4 with 37 strikeouts and a 3.48 ERA, and Behnke has been even better, going 6-1 with a 3.08 ERA and 28 strikeouts in eight starts.
Hillsdale wraps up its southern trip on Sunday with a doubleheader against host Kentucky Wesleyan. The Panthers have struggled this season, going 7-16 to start, but at 3-7 are just two games out of the last spot in the G-MAC Tournament, with plenty to play for.
Senior utility player Madison Scott is hitting .351 with two doubles, two home runs and a team-best 17 RBIs to lead KWC at the plate. Thought no one player is standing out for the Panthers offensively, KWC has gotten contributions up and down the lineup, with seven different players hitting at least one home run this season.
Senior Evyn Hendrickson is the Panthers' top pitcher, going 5-7 in 12 starts this season with a 3.70 ERA and 111 strikeouts. Freshman Grace Scott and senior Bailey Woodall have split game two duties throughout the season so far for KWC.
After the long weekend trip, Hillsdale returns home to face Ohio Valley in a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday.
The Fighting Scots have had a difficult season and sit at 0-14 overall and 0-10 in the G-MAC.
Junior outfielder Destinee Urea leads OVU at the plate, hitting .265 with five extra base hits and five RBIs, and sophomore outfielder Ashley Cooper is hitting .250 as well.
On the mound, senior Alyssa Gates and sophomore Bailey Garcia are the regular starters for the Scots, though Urea and senior Kassandra Bell have made starts as well for OVU.
Hillsdale is 20-12 on the year and seeks a third straight G-MAC tournament title and its first regular season crown.
With two-time G-MAC Softball Pitcher of the Week Dana Weidinger on the mound, Hillsdale has a chance in every contest, as Weidinger is 13-4 with a 2.28 ERA and 89 strikeouts to 20 walks this season. Junior Camryn Olson, freshman Erin Kapteyn and senior Julia Sayles give the Chargers solid options in the second game of doubleheaders.
At the plate, seniors Sam Catron and Madison Stoner are both having excellent seasons. Catron hit her 10th home run of the season in a walk-off win over Malone on Monday. That mark is tied for third all-time in a single season in Charger history and leads the G-MAC. Catron is hitting .380 and also leads the team in total hits (41) and RBIs (31) and is second in doubles (9).
Stoner, meanwhile, has been on a tear at the plate, leading the Chargers in batting average (.447), on-base percentage (.539) and slugging percentage (.753) with six doubles and six home runs. Stoner's slugging percentage, if maintained through the end of the season, would be the third-highest in a single season in program history.
Five Chargers in total are hitting above .300 for the season, including senior Natalie Stepanenko and junior Elaine Townley, who are tied for the team lead with 10 doubles each.