The Hillsdale College softball team ended its Spring Break trip to Florida on a positive note, rallying from a tough extra-inning loss to Le Moyne in the morning on Saturday with a run-rule victory over Alliance in the afternoon.
The Chargers jumped out to a quick edge in both contests, especially in an impressive 9-1 win over the Warriors. A two-run double by senior Jenna Cantalupo in the bottom of the first gave Hillsdale an early 2-0 lead over Alliance, and Hillsdale added two more runs in the bottom of the second. Hillsdale took a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the third after junior Grace Wallner successfully stole home, and freshman Anna Chellman added a RBI double to score junior McKenna Eichholz.
Alliance got a run back on a solo home run in the top of the fourth, but Eichholz answered with a two-run single in the bottom of the inning, and freshman Katie Matzat triggered the run rule in the bottom of the fifth, hitting a RBI single to score freshman Emma Sather after Sather's leadoff triple. That run ended the contest in a Chargers victory.
Eichholz led the Chargers with two hits at the plate, and Grace Wallner added a double as well. Sophomore Emma Vis earned the win for the Chargers, pitching three scoreless innings with four strikeouts and two walks, and junior Erin Kapteyn struck out two and walked none in two innings of relief as well.
Hillsdale came very close to getting a second win on the day in the morning contest against Le Moyne. The Chargers took an immediate lead in the game, as Vis hit a double in Hillsdale's second at bat, and then was driven in by a single through the left side by Wallner to give Hillsdale a 1-0 edge. Behind strong pitching from sophomore Joni Russell, Hillsdale maintained that 1-0 edge for the next six and two-thirds innings, allowing just one baserunner on a bunt single into the bottom of the seventh.
But Hillsdale couldn't find the offensive output to add to their lead, and down to their final out in the bottom of the seventh, Le Moyne hit a solo home run to tie up the game at one-all and force extra innings. In the eighth inning, Hillsdale got runners on second and third but couldn't drive them home, and Le Moyne walked off on a bunt single and error in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 2-1 victory.
Taylor Lewis went 2 for 3 at the plate in the loss to lead the Chargers, while Russell pitched a six-inning one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and no walks in the no decision. Freshman Mackenzi Maxson took the loss in relief for the Chargers.
Hillsdale is now 13-12 overall as it returns home from Florida and prepares to head into G-MAC play. The defending G-MAC regular season champions, the Chargers will be among the contenders this season, but will have to fend off several challengers in a deep conference race. Hillsdale next hosts Ashland on Saturday, March 25 at 1 p.m. for its home opening doubleheader, and plays another G-MAC rival in Tiffin in a home doubleheader on Sunday, March 26 at 1 PM as well.
Photo Courtesy of Tusculum Athletics