The second day of the Hillsdale College softball team's Spring Break trip in Florida didn't go as well as the first, as the Chargers took two tough losses to annual PSAC title contender Kutztown and Sunshine State Conference title contender Barry in two games in Miami Shores on Sunday.
Kutztown beat the Chargers 10-2 in the first game of the day, plating five runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull away and clinch the victory in five innings. Hillsdale struggled to get going at the plate against the Golden Bears, managing just three hits in the contest. Senior outfielder Natalie Stepanenko led the Chargers with a two-run single in the top of the fifth inning to prevent the shutout, and Hannah Hoverman and Emma Vis each added a single as well.
Senior Camryn Olson took the loss for the Chargers, striking out two and walking one in three and one-thirds innings pitched, and freshman Joni Russell also pitched in relief for Hillsdale.
The Chargers bounced back in the second game with a solid performance against a tough Barry squad on their home field, overcoming a 4-0 deficit in the bottom of the first inning to take a 5-4 lead in the third.
Junior Jenna Cantalupo hit a RBI single to get Hillsdale going in the third inning, and senior outfielder Renee Bielawa put the Chargers ahead with a two-run single of her own in the best offensive inning of the day for Hillsdale.
Ultimately, however, the Chargers couldn't hold on, as Barry took advantage of Hillsdale errors to score two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Buccaneers then kept the Chargers off the scoreboard in the final three innings to take a 6-5 victory.
Cantalupo led the Chargers at the plate with two hits and two RBIs, and Bielawa added a third RBI to her two-run single as well, and also stole a base.
Freshman Dani Deaton took the loss for Hillsdale, pitching five innings with a strikeout and two walks and giving up just two earned runs, and sophomore Erin Kapteyn pitched an inning of relief as well.
The Chargers (4-14) continue to look to to build consistency and put all the pieces together as Hillsdale's Spring Break trip rolls on. Monday is a rest day for the Chargers, who next head to Winter Haven, Florida on Tuesday for two contests in The Spring Games against PSAC foe Lock Haven and NE-10 foe New Haven.
Photo by Kasidy Carson