The Hillsdale College softball team made sure it didn't leave the UIS Invite empty-handed on Sunday, pulling out one of its final two games in Chatham, Illinois.
The Chargers opened the day with a big 5-2 win over a McKendree squad that entered the contest 10-3 overall and cruising against regional competition. A big key to Hillsdale's win was sophomore Emma Vis on the mound, as Vis pitched the best game of her Chargers career to date to keep a potent Bearcats lineup in check and record her first win of the season and second of her career.
Vis went all seven innings with eight strikeouts and no walks, giving up just two runs and only one earned run on five hits.
Offensively, Hillsdale was opportunistic against McKendree. Hillsdale got two baserunners on in the bottom of the second inning and took advantage of a fielding error in the outfield to score both and take an early 2-0 lead, and senior Jenna Cantalupo added to Hillsdale's edge with a RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
After McKendree cut into the lead with a solo home run in the top of the sixth, Hillsdale got a big two-run single from Hailey Holtman with two outs to take a 5-1 lead. While the Bearcats got a run back in the top of the seventh on the leadoff at-bat, Vis calmly recorded the final three outs, two by strikeout, to seal the victory.
In the afternoon game, Hillsdale faced off against Quincy in the rematch of a 5-4 loss by the Chargers the day before, but Hillsdale just couldn't get the bats going in a 3-1 defeat to the Hawks.
Quincy scored all three runs in the first and second innings on throwing errors that extended the inning, taking an early 3-0 lead. Hillsdale had a chance to get on the board in the top of the third inning, loading the bases after Hannah Hoverman led off the inning with a double, but was unable to find the timely hit it needed.
Freshman Anna Chellman hit a solo home run, the first of her career, in the top of the seventh inning to cut Quincy's lead to 3-1, but that was as close as Hillsdale would get in the loss.
Sophomore Joni Russell took the loss on the mound, striking out five, walking none and giving up just three hits and three unearned runs in four innings, while freshman Mackenzi Maxson pitched two scoreless innings of relief.
Hillsdale is now 5-8 on the year as it heads to Florida for its annual Spring Break trip, and the Chargers are scheduled to play 12 games in eight days while in the Sunshine State, starting with two games at Embry-Riddle on Saturday against the host Eagles and Queens (NY).
Photo Courtesy of UIS Athletics