Dominant pitching performances and plenty of fireworks helped the Hillsdale College softball team to two decisive victories on the road on Wednesday in an early-season conference showdown with host Tiffin.
The Chargers gave up just one run across two games in 5-0 and 13-1 victories that helped Hillsdale improve to 4-0 in G-MAC play.
Freshman Joni Russell (7-5) controlled the game from the circle for the first complete game shut-out of her career in Hillsdale's Game 1 victory, striking out nine batters, walking just two and scattering six hits for no earned runs in seven innings of play.
That meant senior Madison Stoner's two-run single in the top of the first that scored Olivia Latimer and Natalie Stepanenko was all the offense the Chargers needed. Stoner provided plenty of additional firepower on her own, however, going 4 for 4 in the contest and tacking on another two-run single in the top of the sixth to help put the game away.
Sophomore Hailey Holtman added a RBI single in the top of the fifth as well for Hillsdale, while Stepanenko went 2 for 4 at the plate in a critical victory for the Chargers.
In the nightcap, Hillsdale jumped all over Tiffin from the start, plating six runs in the first inning and never looking back on the way to a run-rule victory.
Elaine Townley, Reagan Gensiejewski and Holtman each hit a RBI single in the first inning and McKenna Eichholz added a two-run single as well for the Chargers, who finished with 13 base hits in the game.
Jenna Cantalupo and Madison Rathbun each hit a RBI single in the top of the second as Hillsdale added two more runs, and the Chargers tacked on five more runs in the top of the third, with Kasidy Carson adding a RBI single and Grace Wallner clearing the bases with a single for three runs as well.
Sophomore Erin Kapteyn picked up her sixth win of the season in the victory, striking out two, walking two and giving up three hits and no earned runs in three and a third innings. Senior Camryn Olson pitched one and two-thirds innings of relief, with four strikeouts and two walks as well for the Chargers.
Now 14-16 overall, Hillsdale has won 10 of its last 12 games after a 4-14 start and seems to be rounding into form at just the right time as the Chargers get right into the thick of conference play. Hillsdale is the only undefeated team remaining in the G-MAC after a chaotic first week of conference play, and has another big G-MAC matchup this weekend against a Cedarville squad that looked strong in non-conference play at home on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.
Photo by Gwen Buchhop