Schedule
Davenport (11-11, 3-3 GLIAC) at Hillsdale College (15-17, 5-1 G-MAC) | 3 P.M. ET Thursday, April 7 | Hillsdale, MI – Johnny Williams Field
Davenport (11-11, 3-3 GLIAC) at Hillsdale College (15-17, 5-1 G-MAC) | 5 P.M. ET Thursday, April 7 | Hillsdale, MI – Johnny Williams Field
Hillsdale College (15-17, 5-1 G-MAC) at Walsh (6-12, 2-4 G-MAC) | 1 P.M. ET Sunday, April 10 | North Canton, OH – WU Softball Complex
Hillsdale College (15-17, 5-1 G-MAC) at Walsh (6-12, 2-4 G-MAC) | 3 P.M. ET Sunday, April 10 | North Canton, OH – WU Softball Complex
Hillsdale College (15-17, 5-1 G-MAC) at Malone (6-10, 2-4 G-MAC) | 1 P.M. ET Monday, April 11 | Canton, OH – Pioneer Softball Field
Hillsdale College (15-17, 5-1 G-MAC) at Malone (6-10, 2-4 G-MAC) | 3 P.M. ET Monday, April 11 | Canton, OH – Pioneer Softball Field
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Davenport Roster | Walsh Roster | Malone Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Davenport Stats | Walsh Stats | Malone Stats | Live Stats and Video Links
Outlook
The Chargers took their first G-MAC loss on Saturday against Cedarville, but bounced back with a walk-off win in the second game to split the series and, at 5-1, remain right in the mix of three teams with one loss atop the conference standings.
Hillsdale now makes a road trip to Canton, Ohio, looking to continue its hot start to conference play and continue to keep pace with Ohio Dominican and Findlay in the G-MAC title race, among others.
The Chargers kick off the weekend with a non-conference doubleheader against Davenport on Thursday, making up contests that have been postponed twice already this season. The Panthers are 11-11 so far with splits against G-MAC title contenders Ohio Dominican and Cedarville.
The Panthers have struggled offensively this year, with an average of .271 and 89 runs in 22 games, though Davenport has shown flashes throughout the season, including a 12-run outing against Mary. Senior Alexis Koza has six home runs and 18 RBIs to lead the Panthers offensively, and fellow senior Rachel Griffin is hitting .338 with nine extra-base hits and 14 RBIs as well. Freshman Riley Hasseld (.310) has one of the top batting averages for Davenport.
Solid pitching has kept the Panthers at .500 while they try to get the bats going. Junior Emma Miller is 6-5 with an impressive 1.83 ERA and 40 strikeouts to just 10 walks in 11 starts, and senior Ellie Muilenburg has been a solid second starter as well, posting a 5-6 record with a 4.32 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 11 starts as well.
On Sunday, the Chargers look to take two from a Walsh team that struggled to start the season but upset defending G-MAC Champion Trevecca Nazarene two weekends ago and remains dangerous.
Senior starter Sarah Gockenbach is Walsh's top pitcher, with a 3-3 record and a 4.06 ERA in eight starts and 13 appearances. Walsh has split the second starter job between three pitchers so far, with sophomore Olivia Betson and junior Sarah Cantley getting the nod most frequently.
The Cavaliers have been solid at the plate, getting shut out just once and hitting .282 so far. Senior catcher and returning All-G-MAC player Jessie Rock has been the team's top offensive threat to date, hitting .396 with six home runs and a team-high 19 RBIs. Senior first baseman Emma Bobey is hitting .365 with 11 RBIs as well for Walsh, and seniors Katelyn Loughman and Brooklyn Hellman are also off to solid starts.
Hillsdale wraps up the weekend with Monday contests against Malone, in a doubleheader that's been moved from Saturday over weather concerns.
The Pioneers, 6-11 overall, have struggled offensively to start, hitting just .263 with 50 runs scored in 17 games. Senior April Howser has been one of Malone's top hitters, batting .333 with 7 RBIs, while junior Lauren Bennett and senior Mikayla Kesel are tied for the team lead in RBIs with nine so far. Senior Lexi Betz has five doubles to lead the Pioneers in extra base hits.
On the mound, Malone has weathered the absence of returning G-MAC Pitcher of the Year Kelsey Byers so far. Byers has appeared in just one game, but with her out, the Pioneers have gotten solid play from junior Jensen Miller, who has a 3.02 ERA, a 4-2 record, and 16 strikeouts. Fellow junior Elizabeth Dyke has also been solid as the second starter, posting a 1-7 record but a 3.17 ERA and decent underlying numbers as well.
Hillsdale has been hot over the last 14 games, going 11-3 after a 4-14 start, and are now hitting .288 as a team after struggling at the plate early. Two seniors – catcher Madison Stoner and utility player Madison Rathbun – lead the Charger offense. Rathbun has hit .354 so far with five doubles 19 RBIs, while Stoner is hitting .341 with six doubles, three home runs and a team-high 21 RBIs. Junior utility player Jenna Cantalupo also has played well in the early going, hitting .342 with 18 RBIs as well, and senior third baseman Elaine Townley is now hitting .323 after an excellent week with a team-high seven doubles and nine RBIs.
Now that Hillsdale has started to get the offense going, it can pair it with pitching that's been good enough so far to make the team a contender. Freshman Joni Russell has eight victories in 12 starts with 84 strikeouts and a 2.41 ERA, giving the team a solid ace. As good as Russell has been, sophomore and No. 2 starter Erin Kapteyn has been right there with her in terms of effectiveness, with a 2.38 ERA, 49 strikeouts and a 6-2 record in 12 appearances. Senior Camryn Olson is a veteran presence as a starter and reliever for the Chargers as well, while freshmen Dani Deaton and Emma Vis both have shown promise in their early appearances.
Thursday's games mark just the second and third times that Hillsdale and Davenport have met – the Panthers won an 8-5 game over the Chargers on March 21, 2015 in their only other meeting. The Chargers swept Walsh at home last season and split with Malone – though Hillsdale won a 5-2 rubber match with the Pioneers in the G-MAC Tournament at the end of the season.