The Hillsdale College softball team continues to face strong competition down in Texas at the Portland Invitational, and that competition got the better of the Chargers on Day 2 of the invite on Saturday.
The Chargers opened the day with a rematch against Texas A&M International, who it had beaten 5-3 the night before, and this time the Dust Devils got the better of Hillsdale in a 4-1 victory. In the second game of the day, the Chargers fell to a loaded Texas A&M-Kingsville team, who jumped on Hillsdale early and rolled to a 20-1 win in five innings.
Against TAMIU, the Chargers got on the board first in the top of the second inning, starting with a leadoff double by senior Madison Stoner. Senior Reagan Gensiejewski, who replaced Stoner as a pinch runner, was driven in by sophomore McKenna Eichholz, who drew a bases-loaded walk five batters later to give the Chargers a 1-0 lead.
But the Dust Devils would respond with four runs in the bottom of the inning on three hits to take a 4-1 lead, and that would be all the offense TAMIU would need as Hillsdale struggled to solve Dust Devils pitcher Christina Garcia at the plate. The Chargers would finish with just two hits -- Stoner's double and a third inning single by Renee Bielawa -- and that third inning hit was the only baserunner for the Chargers from the third inning on.
Freshman Dani Deaton took the loss for Hillsdale, pitching one and one third innings, and Erin Kapteyn pitched four and two-thirds innings of relief, walking one and scattering five hits.
In the nightcap, the Chargers fell behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning to TAMUK, and a 12-run second inning by the Javelinas effectively ended the game early.
Jenna Cantalupo hit a RBI single to score Gensiejewski in the fourth inning for the Chargers' only run, and seniors Stoner and Madison Rathbun each chipped in a single as well.
Senior Camryn Olson took the loss for Hillsdale, pitching one and two-thirds innings, and freshmen Emma Vis and Deaton also pitched in relief for the Chargers.
Hillsdale (1-3) has one more game to play in the Portland Invitational on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m. ET, when the Chargers will get a rematch and a shot at redemption against Texas A&M-Kingsville to close out the tournament.
Photo by Kasidy Carson