The Hillsdale College softball team came through in the clutch in the second game of a doubleheader at Florida Southern on Wednesday night, picking up a critical split with a solid opponent.
The Chargers trailed 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning after Florida Southern took the lead in the previous half-inning, but thanks to a leadoff single by Taylor Lewis and a single by Emma Sather, Hillsdale had runners at the corners with two outs as sophomore Ashley Strick stepped to the plate.
In a high-leverage moment, the right-fielder hit a single to second base that drove in both runs, giving Hillsdale a 3-2 lead it wouldn't relinquish. Hillsdale ace Joni Russell shut down the Mocs the rest of the way, manuevering out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth inning to keep Hillsdale's lead intact. McKenna Eichholz added an insurance run on a fielder's choice in the top of the seventh to help preserve Hillsdale's advantage.
Hillsdale got its first run in the top of the third inning, on a sacrifice fly to center field by Grace Wallner, to tie the game at one apiece at the time.
Emma Vis went 3 for 4 with a double at the plate for the Chargers and Taylor Lewis and Strick each added two hits as well for the Chargers, who pounded out 12 hits in the victory. Russell got the win on the mound for the Chargers, striking out five and walking three in seven innings of work.
The Chargers fell 7-3 in the first game of the day, nearly matching Florida Southern in hits, 11-10, but proving unable to turn those hits into runs as efficiently as the Mocs in the contest. Hillsdale fell behind early, giving up three runs in the bottom of the first inning, but countered back with three in the top of the third to tie the game up. Grace Wallner hit a two-run double to left-center, and Eichholz drove in Wallner on a single.
But the Mocs retook the lead in the bottom of the third inning, and manufactured runs in both the fourth and sixth innings as well to pull away. Hillsdale got runners on in each of the final four innings, but couldn't get them home to match Florida Southern on the scoreboard.
Wallner finished with two hits, including a double, to lead Hillsdale at the plate, and Jenna Cantalupo and Maggie Olaveson each chipped in a double as well for Hillsdale.
Vis took the loss on the mound for the Chargers, striking out one and walking one in three innings of work, and Erin Kapteyn and Mackenzi Maxson each pitched in relief as well for Hillsdale.
The Chargers are now 10-11 on the season, and have a rest day on Thursday in Florida before getting back in action on Friday, with contests against East Coast schools Bentley and Bloomsburg as a part of the Spring Games event in Leesburg, Florida.
Photo courtesy of Tusculum Athletics