SCHEDULE
Hillsdale College (2-8) vs Illinois-Springfield (10-2) | 1 P.M. ET Saturday, March 5 | Spartan Sports Complex – Chatham, Illinois
Hillsdale College (2-8) vs Illinois-Springfield (10-2) | 3 P.M. ET Saturday, March 5 | Spartan Sports Complex – Chatham, Illinois
Hillsdale College (2-8) vs Quincy (3-8) | 1 P.M. ET Sunday, March 6 | Spartan Sports Complex – Chatham, Illinois
Hillsdale College (2-8) vs Quincy (3-8) | 3 P.M. ET Sunday, March 6 | Spartan Sports Complex – Chatham, Illinois
Links
Live Stats vs Quincy | Live Stats vs UIS | Video vs UIS | Hillsdale Roster | Quincy Roster | UIS Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Quincy Stats | UIS Stats
Outlook
The Hillsdale College softball team had a frustrating weekend at the Lewis Dome Invite, suffering two one-run losses to finish the event at 1-4 and fall to 2-8 overall on the year.
Still, with solid pitching and so many close calls, it feels like the Chargers are close to turning the corner, and will get another opportunity to put it all together with two doubleheaders at the Illinois-Springfield Invite this weekend.
Hillsdale opens the weekend with a doubleheader on Saturday against host Illinois-Springfield. A 19-27 team a year ago, the Prairie Stars have taken a massive step forward so far this season, with a 10-2 record that includes a very competitive loss to the No. 1 team in the country, Texas-Tyler, on Feb. 13.
UIS returns two first-team All-GLVC players who are both hitting .500 to start the season in Danielle Dennis and Carly Chovanec. Dennis already has four home runs and 20 RBIs in 12 games in one of the hottest starts by a player this season. Junior Carolyn Franke is also hitting .533 so far this year, while sophomore Kayana Diederich has three home runs and 12 RBIS as well.
On the mound, Payton Long has been excellent as UIS's ace, going 4-1 with a 1.75 ERA and 21 strikeouts to eight walks. Second starter Reagan Miles has been strong as well, with a 1.79 ERA and a 2-0 record in three starts, and Diederich is 2-0 with a 2.47 ERA in two starts to give the Prairie Stars a third excellent option on the mound.
Hillsdale finishes the weekend with a doubleheader against Midwest Regional foe Quincy on Sunday. The Hawks have a similar record to Hillsdale at 3-8 but enter the weekend with momentum after putting together a three-game winning streak to close out the Blue Bridge Battle last weekend, including two victories over G-MAC competition.
Offensively, the Hawks have struggled to generate extra base hits but have been batting solidly so far, with four regulars batting over .300. 2021 All-GLVC player Taylor Downen leads the way with a .343 average, while sophomore Bailey Mitchell leads the team in batting average (.387), extra base hits (five doubles) and six RBIs.
On the mound, Quincy has struggled, though the numbers are heavily skewed by an extremely rough opening weekend. Sophomore Bailee Highbarger has been the team's most effective pitcher, with a 5.49 ERA and 12 strikeouts, but freshman Kaelyn Conger has two wins to her name and a 5.51 ERA as well. Morgan Tanksley and Eileen McGinnis also have started for the Hawks. The team's most effective pitcher might be reliever Jayle Jennings, who has yet to allow an earned run in two appearances, with five strikeouts and no walks.
This weekend offers another chance for the Chargers to get on track offensively after a challenging first two weeks. Hillsdale has had moments of individual brilliance in its first 10 games, but has struggled to put it all together and to take advantage of opportunities with runners in scoring position. Senior Madison Stoner, an All-Midwest Region catcher last year, leads the Chargers with a .320 average and three doubles, and senior utility player Madison Rathbun is hitting .300 as well. Junior Jenna Cantalupo is also off to a strong start, batting .286 with a home run and a team-high four RBIs.
If Hillsdale can get the offense going, it has shown the pitching so far to be a contender. Freshman Joni Russell is off to an excellent start with two victories in her first four starts, 21 strikeouts and a 2.76 ERA, while fellow freshmen Dani Deaton and Emma Vis both have looked impressive in multiple appearances so far. Sophomore Erin Kapteyn has the lowest staff ERA with 1.66 in three appearances and 12.2 innings pitched, while senior Camryn Olson is a veteran presence as a starter and reliever for the Chargers.
Hillsdale has limited history with both the Hawks and Prairie Stars. The Chargers played Quincy once in a Spring Break game in Florida in 2015, losing 9-5, while Hillsdale has met UIS four times, losing all four contests, most recently a 9-1 defeat in the 2020 Lewis Dome Invitational.