Miscues and bad luck proved to be a costly combination for the Hillsdale College softball team on Saturday, as the Chargers took two losses on their second day at the Lewis Dome Invite in Rosemont, Illinois.
The Chargers started the day with a 6-3 loss in the morning to Minnesota State-Moorhead, unable to overcome three costly errors that led directly to three runs.
The Dragons jumped on top in the first inning, turning a Hillsdale throwing error that allowed Moorhead to get an additional runner in scoring position into two early runs.
Hillsdale got a run back on a solo home run by McKenna Eichholz, but the Chargers conceded four more runs in the bottom of the second, committing two errors that scored three runs for the Dragons.
Olivia Latimer hit a RBI single for the Chargers in the top of the fourth that cut the deficit to four, and the Chargers got an additional run back on an error in the top of the seventh, but Hillsdale also stranded five baserunners in the final five innings, including two in scoring position in the top of the sixth.
Grace Wallner went 2 for 3 with a triple for the Chargers and Natalie Stepanenko added in two hits as well. Camryn Olson took the loss for Hillsdale, pitching one inning, while freshman Dani Deaton pitched five innings of relief, striking out eight, walking four and holding the Dragons scoreless in the final five innings to give the Chargers a chance.
In the afternoon game against Truman, Hillsdale again came up short, falling 3-2 despite leading for the majority of the game.
The Chargers jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Jenna Cantalupo RBI single that scored Stepanenko in the top of the third, then, after Truman tied the game at 1-all in the fourth, Madison Stoner drew a bases-loaded walk to put Hillsdale back out in front, 2-1.
Hillsdale, however, failed to take advantage of chances to grow its lead, stranding 10 baserunners and coming away from three innings where it put runners on second and third base with just one combined run.
Truman made Hillsdale pay late, tying the game on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the fifth, and pulling ahead for good on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth that scored Maria McGonegle after a lead-off single and outfield error got her to third base.
Erin Kapteyn was the hard-luck loser for Hillsdale against the Bulldogs, going the distance with six strikeouts and just one walk, four hits and one earned run conceded.
Now 2-6 overall, Hillsdale will look to turn things around tomorrow, Sunday, in its final day at the Lewis Dome Invite, with a game against Purdue Northwest at 9 a.m. ET and another contest against host Lewis to follow at 11 a.m. ET.
Photo by Kasidy Carson