A slow start at the plate cost the Hillsdale College softball team a six-game winning streak in a 2-1 loss to a tough host Cedarville squad on Tuesday.
The Chargers made up for those struggles in the second game of the doubleheader -- and in emphatic fashion.
Hillsdale rolled past the host Yellow Jackets 10-1 in five innings in game two to avenge the earlier loss and salvage a doubleheader split on the road.
The Chargers jumped on Cedarville early in game two. Senior Sam Catron hit a two-run home run -- her G-MAC-leading seventh of the season -- to kick off a two-out rally in the top of the first inning that led to four runs. Freshman Hailey Holtman chipped in a RBI double and Grace Wallner added a RBI single as well in the inning.
Sarah Wojcik chipped in a RBI double in the third inning to extend Hillsdale's lead, and the Chargers put the game away with five more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Holtman hit a RBI single to kick off the scoring, McKenna Eichholz chipped in a RBI single that led to two runs, Kasidy Carson added a RBI single, and Natalie Stepanenko chipped in a RBI double.
Madison Stoner went 2 for 4 as well for the Chargers, and Camryn Olson earned the win on the mound for Hillsdale, going all five innings with four strikeouts, no walks, four hits and one earned run.
In the first game, Hillsdale outhit Cedarville 8-4 but couldn't string together enough hits offensively to generate runs in a 2-1 defeat to the Yellow Jackets.
Cedarville used two fourth-inning runs to pull ahead, both on singles. Hillsdale rallied in the top of the sixth with a Stepanenko single that scored Holtman and advanced Wojcik to third base, but the Chargers couldn't get the tying run across and couldn't generate more offense in the top of the seventh.
Elaine Townley went 2 for 4 with a double to lead the Chargers at the plate in game one, and Holtman added two hits as well. Senior Dana Weidinger was the hard-luck loser to drop to 11-4 on the year for Hillsdale, pitching an excellent game with eight strikeouts, no walks, four hits and just one earned run.
The Chargers are now 17-11 overall and 5-1 in G-MAC play. While Hillsdale is no longer unbeaten, they remain in the upper echelons of the conference, a game back of undefeated Trevecca Nazarene and two games clear of third-place Ohio Dominican entering this weekend, with doubleheaders against G-MAC foes Malone on Saturday and Walsh on Sunday, both beginning at 1 p.m. in Hillsdale at Johnny Williams Field.
Photo by Kasidy Carson