The Hillsdale College softball team couldn't afford a loss on Sunday if it wanted to keep pace in the G-MAC title race.
And, on senior day, the Chargers took care of business against visiting Ursuline, pulling out close 5-0 and 3-2 contests to improve to 16-1 in conference play and set up two monumental doubleheaders next weekend with the league title on the line.
Although Hillsdale won by shutout in the opening game, it was still a tense affair, as the game was scoreless and Ursuline had a perfect game through three innings.
The Chargers broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning, as senior Natalie Stepanenko broke up the no hitter with a leadoff single, and senior Elaine Townley drove her in with a single to center field for the go-ahead run. Hillsdale tacked on a second run in the inning on a ground out by senior Madison Rathbun that drove in Townley to give the Chargers a 2-0 lead.
Hillsdale pulled away in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Townley's leadoff double led to a three-run home run by Jenna Cantalupo to left field that gave the Chargers a 5-0 lead.
Freshman pitcher Joni Russell finished with her fourth shut-out of the season to pick up her 13th win of the season on the mound, going all seven innings with seven strikeouts, one walk and just four hits conceded to secure the victory.
The nightcap was even more hard-fought, as Ursuline took its first lead of the day on its first at-bat with a solo home run by Sara Fessler. Hillsdale answered back with two runs scored on ground balls by Cantalupo and sophomore Hailey Holtman in the bottom of the second inning, and added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a RBI single to left center by Stepanenko that scored senior Reagan Gensiejewski.
Ursuline got a run back in the top of the sixth to cut Hillsdale's lead to 3-2 entering the seventh inning, but the Chargers put the Arrows down in order in the top of the seventh, sealed by an acrobatic catch in foul territory by sophomore catcher McKenna Eichholz, to clinch the sweep.
Rathbun went 2 for 3 with two doubles to lead the Chargers at the plate in Game 2, while sophomore pitcher Erin Kapteyn bounced back from giving up the lead-off home run to earn her 11th win of the sesason, going all seven innings with five strikeouts and one walk and scattering eight hits and two earned runs in a strong outing on the mound.
The sweep meant a happy Senior Day for Hillsdale's eight graduating players -- Stepanenko, Townley, Rathbun and Gensiejewski, as well as catcher Madison Stoner, second baseman Kasidy Carson, pitcher Camryn Olson, and outfielder Renee Bielawa. That group has been a part of 113 victories for the Chargers over the last five years, as well as two G-MAC Tournament titles and three NCAA DII Tournament appearances, with the possibility to add to those accolades over the next month.
At 16-1 in G-MAC play, Hillsdale is a half-game back of Ohio Dominican (17-1) and a half-game ahead of Findlay (16-2), and will face both squads next weekend with a shot to lock up its first outright regular season conference title since 1990 with a strong showing. The Chargers host the Panthers on Friday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader, then travel to Findlay on Saturday for a 1 p.m. twinbill to wrap up the regular season.