Schedule
Hillsdale College (30-17, 16-4 G-MAC) at Ohio Dominican (31-16, 18-2 GMAC) | 3 p.m. ET Wednesday, April 26 | Panther Field – Columbus, Ohio
Hillsdale College (30-17, 16-4 G-MAC) at Ohio Dominican (31-16, 18-2 GMAC) | 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, April 26 | Panther Field – Columbus, Ohio
Findlay (28-13, 13-7 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (30-17, 16-4 G-MAC) | 3 p.m. ET Friday, April 28 | Johnny Williams Field – Hillsdale, Michigan
Findlay (28-13, 13-7 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (30-17, 16-4 G-MAC) | 5 p.m. ET Friday, April 28 | Johnny Williams Field – Hillsdale, Michigan
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Ohio Dominican Roster | Findlay Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Ohio Dominican Stats | Findlay Stats | Live Stats and Video Links
Outlook
Both the Hillsdale College and Ohio Dominican softball teams swept through the weekend, taking care of business and setting up an important doubleheader on Wednesday with possession of first place in the G-MAC on the line.
The doubleheader between the two teams was originally scheduled to be played on Saturday, but inhospitable weather on that day necessitated a move forward in the week.
At 18-2 in G-MAC play, two games ahead of second-place Hillsdale and three ahead of Trevecca Nazarene, the Panthers can clinch their first G-MAC regular season title since 2019 outright on Wednesday with a sweep of the Chargers.
Ohio Dominican has won 11 straight games and seized the conference lead on the back of a powerful offense that's hitting .338 in G-MAC play and leads the conference in runs scored. Senior Braxton Downs, the most recent G-MAC Player of the Week, leads the Panthers at the plate with a .403 average, 20 doubles, seven home runs and 50 RBIs, while junior Alexis Stevens is hitting .366 with 12 extra base hits and 30 RBIs as well, and 2022 G-MAC Freshman of the Year Kaleigh Golden is hitting .373 as well.
On the mound, ODU has remained strong despite losing 2022 G-MAC Pitcher of the Year Sydney Long to graduation. Freshman Marlee Jacobs has stepped in as the top-line starter and had a strong season, with a 19-4 record, 1.75 ERA and five shutouts, while returning second starter Addison Smodilla is 9-7 with a 3.83 ERA. Liana Morreale, Samantha Schaefer and Emily Holland are relief options for the Panthers, but Jacobs and Smodilla should go the distance in what should be two close, hard-fought contests.
If the Chargers can pull off two victories on the road at ODU, Hillsdale would move into a tie for first place with the Panthers, but would still need to face a tough Findlay team on Friday with both games looming as crucial to stay in a position to win the title. That game will also be Senior Day for the Chargers, and Hillsdale will salute its lone graduating senior, first baseman Jenna Cantalupo.
While Findlay is out of the title race at 13-7, the Oilers are still an extremely dangerous opponent who could easily play spoiler while looking to secure a top four seed in the G-MAC Tournament themselves.
Findlay's strength is its impressive offense, which is second only to Ohio Dominican in conference play with a .335 batting average. An experienced lineup led by junior Avery Shepherd, who is hitting .444 with 19 extra-base hits and 23 RBIs, makes life tough for opponents. Senior leaders Olivia Carlton and Caroline Turner also each bat over .340 for the Oilers, and freshman Annika Bredel is a welcome addition to the lineup as well, hitting .325 with 25 RBIs for Findlay.
In the circle, Findlay is still strong, but a step behind last year's staff which helped the Oilers stay in the title race to the final day. Sophomore Emma Jones, a relief pitcher and occasional starter last season, has done an effective job as the team's ace, with a 14-3 record and a 2.38 ERA. The second starting spot has rotated between freshmen Kayla Dykin and Kora Navarro, as well as senior Molly Pfiffner, with all three putting up solid numbers. Findlay's overall ERA is 3.03, a quality number, but a step below that of title contenders Hillsdale, Ohio Dominican and Trevecca Nazarene.
As Hillsdale looks for a title-worthy finish to 2023, everything starts with an excellent pitching staff that gives the Chargers a chance in every game. Hillsdale's 1.73 staff ERA leads the G-MAC teams by a full tenth of a point, and the Chargers have gotten great pitching from sophomore Joni Russell, whose 15-6 record includes a G-MAC best 0.70 ERA and a conference-leading 212 strikeouts. Russell set the program record for strikeouts in a single game with 19 against Malone on April 8, and she should break the Hillsdale single-season record of 216 strikeouts set by Danielle Stiene in 2015 this weekend. Hillsdale has arguably the best second starter in the G-MAC as well in junior Erin Kapteyn, an All-G-MAC player in 2022, who has a 12-6 record, a 1.73 ERA and threw the Chargers' first no-hitter since 2012 on March 11 against Queens (NY).
With a dominant pitching staff to fall back on, the challenge for Hillsdale this season as it looks to repeat as G-MAC regular season champions is getting more out of its bats. Luckily, the Chargers seem to be heating up at the right time – Hillsdale is hitting just .280 overall but .319 in conference play and is coming off its best offensive weekend of the season.
Junior Hailey Holtman, one of two returning starters in the lineup, has become a key player, averaging .316 with 15 extra-base hits and 17 RBIs in the leadoff position. Sophomore Emma Vis is also having a breakout season, hitting .340 with 13 extra base hits and 19 RBIs, and junior Grace Wallner is hitting .318 with a team-high 31 RBIs as well. Four players have double-digit doubles for the Chargers, as Hillsdale has made up for at times inconsistent hitting this season with solid power numbers.
Finding a way to be consistent at the plate will be critical for the Chargers this week, as Hillsdale faces down the two best offenses, bar none, in the G-MAC needing all four games to guarantee a share of the crown. A strong week at the plate, combined with the Chargers' excellent staff, would give Hillsdale an excellent shot at the crown, but the margin for error is slim against two of the best teams the conference has to offer. Either way, it's going to be an exciting finish.