Hillsdale college softball head coach Kyle Gross hit a milestone with the program as the Chargers split a pair of tightly-contested contests in the Spring Games on Tuesday in Leesburg, Florida during the squad's Spring Break trip.
In the morning, the Chargers lost a close game in extra innings to Midwest Regional opponent Missouri St. Louis, 6-3. Hillsdale took a 1-0 lead early on a double by Emma Vis that scored Hailey Holtman in the bottom of the third inning, but fell behind 3-1 to the Tritons entering the bottom of the seventh.
Hillsdale was able to get the tying runs to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Maggie Olaveson, and Holtman hit a single to left field to drive in the two runs, tie the game at three apiece, and force extra innings. Unfortunately, the Chargers couldn't hold in the top of the eighth, as UMSL plated three runs to retake the lead, and couldn't work more magic in the bottom of the inning to extend the game.
Grace Wallner and Taylor Lewis each added a hit for the Chargers, and Mackenzi Maxson took the loss in relief for Hillsdale, striking out one. Joni Russell got the start for the Chargers, striking out six and walking none in five innings of work.
Hillsdale rallied with a strong performance in the nightcap, holding Molloy scoreless in a 2-0 victory. Hannah Hoverman hit a double in the top of the second inning to score Anna Chellman and take a 1-0 lead, and Grace Wallner drove in an insurance run on a fielder's choice in the sixth.
The Chargers got another strong start from junior Erin Kapteyn in the win, as Kapteyn followed up her no-hitter on Saturday with a second-straight shutout, giving up just three hits in the game to improve to 3-3 on the season.
The victory over the Lions was Gross' 100th win as head coach of the Chargers softball program, reaching the milestone early in his fifth season at Hillsdale. Gross is the fifth coach in Hillsdale softball history to reach the 100 win mark, and needs 60 more to overtake Mark Huffman as the program's all-time winningest coach.
The Chargers are now 9-10 on the season, and head to Lakeland, Florida on Wednesday to play Florida Southern in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.
Photo Courtesy of Tusculum Athletics