The second-seeded Hillsdale College softball team just couldn't get the bats going against a strong pitching effort by seventh-seeded Tiffin in a first-round upset in the G-MAC Tournament on Wednesday at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
The Chargers held Tiffin scoreless through four innings and trailed just 1-0 after six, but finished with three hits in a 3-0 loss to the Dragons.
Sophomore Taylor Lewis went 2 for 2 at the plate and was the only Charger to reach second base in the loss, drawing a walk in the bottom of the first inning and stealing second base, but Hillsdale was unable to bring her home, and Tiffin turned two double plays to retire Lewis in the third and and sixth innings as well. Emma Vis had Hillsdale's third and final hit in the game with a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Chargers looked to rally, but it was too late for Hillsdale to sustain a run.
Tiffin, meanwhile, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning on a RBI double, and added critical insurance runs in the top of the seventh with a two-run home run. Junior Joni Russell, a first-team All-G-MAC honoree earlier in the afternoon, pitched well overall, striking out 11 batters and walking none in a complete game effort, but took the loss in the end.
Hillsdale (34-13) isn't eliminated from the G-MAC Tournament with the loss but will have to come all the way back through the elimination bracket, beginning tomorrow at 10 a.m. with a tough contest against No. 3 seed Ohio Dominican, who also suffered a 3-0 upset loss to Cedarville in the 3-6 game played at the same time today. The contest means at least one of the top contenders for the title entering the tournament will be eliminated before the afternoon on Thursday. If Hillsdale can beat the Panthers, they would play another elimination game on Thursday at 3 p.m. against the loser of the Trevecca Nazarene/Northwood game to be played at noon.
Photo by Grace Gravino