The Hillsdale College softball team got the job done in extra innings on Sunday, plating four runs in the top of the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie and secure a sweep of host Walsh.
Senior Madison Stoner drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning of the second game in a doubleheader against the Cavaliers, hitting a double to right field that scored senior Elaine Townley from first base after Townley reached on a two-out single in the at-bat before.
Junior Jenna Cantalupo tacked on another run for the Chargers on a double that scored Stoner, and senior Madison Rathbun put an exclamation point on a 6-3 victory with a two-run home run that ensured Hillsdale a big enough lead to hold on in the bottom of the inning.
It was Rathbun's second home run of the game, as she'd given the Chargers a two-run lead with a solo shot in the top of the fifth that looked like it might be the game-winning run until the Cavaliers tied the game up in the bottom of the sixth to force extra innings.
Stoner hit a RBI single in the top of the first inning to give Hillsdale an early edge, part of a 3 for 4 performance that led the Chargers at the plate in the victory.
Freshman Joni Russell (10-6) earned the win in relief for Hillsdale, her second of the day, striking out three of the six batters she faced and giving up just a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth in two innings of work.
Russell came in for Erin Kapteyn, who struck out nine, walked one and gave up just two hits and two earned runs in a solid six-inning performance for the Chargers.
Hillsdale's dramatic victory in game two came after a 5-0 win over Walsh in the first game of the day thanks to a dominant performance by Russell, who pitched her second complete-game shutout of the season with 11 strikeouts, one walk and just two hits given up.
With Russell's performance, the Chargers didn't need a lot of offense to secure the win, but had a solid game at the plate anyways. Cantalupo drove in freshman Olivia Latimer on a fielder's choice to give Hillsdale a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, then added a RBI double in the third inning to give Hillsdale a 2-0 lead.
The Chargers pulled away for good in the top of the sixth, thanks to a two-run double by sophomore McKenna Eichholz and a RBI double by Latimer that drove in three runs.
Five of Hillsdale's seven hits in the victory were doubles, as sophomore Hailey Holtman and senior Reagan Gensiejewski also each added an extra base hit for the Chargers. Latimer went 2 for 3 on the game to lead the Chargers at the plate.
The victory means Hillsdale is now back above .500 for the season, at 19-17 overall, and remains tied in the loss column with Ohio Dominican and Findlay atop the Great Midwest Athletic Conference at 7-1 overall, with Trevecca Nazarene and Ursuline both close behind with two losses. The Chargers will look to keep rolling with a Monday series against Malone up next.
Photo by Anthony Lupi