The Hillsdale College softball team found itself on the wrong end of a tight, hard-fought ballgame in a 2024 G-MAC Tournament elimination contest against Ohio Dominican on Thursday morning at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
The second-seeded Chargers fought hard but just couldn't generate enough offense in the end in a 2-1 contest against the third-seeded Panthers that ends Hillsdale's tournament run.
Hillsdale held ODU scoreless through two innings and recorded two outs in the top of the third with a runner on first when an error on what would have been the third out extended the inning for the Panthers. ODU made the Chargers pay dearly for the miscue, as the next batter hit a double that scored two runs and gave the Panthers a lead they would never relinquish.
The Chargers got a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning and threatened to tie the game, cashing in a leadoff double by senior Grace Wallner. Sophomore Taylor Lewis hit a two-out single to give the Chargers runners at the corners, and a Panthers throwing error trying to catch Lewis on an attempt to steal second allowed Wallner to get home and cut into the lead. Unfortunately for the Chargers, however, ODU was able to get the potential tying run out on the basepaths to end the threat and leave Hillsdale still trailing.
Still chasing the tying run, Hillsdale got a single by McKenna Eichholz in the bottom of the sixth and a walk by Wallner in the bottom of the seventh to get the go-ahead run up to bat, but in both cases the Chargers fell one timely hit short.
Maggie Olaveson added a double in the bottom of the first inning as well for Hillsdale at the plate as the Chargers finished with four hits. Senior Erin Kapteyn was the hard-luck loser on the mound for Hillsdale, pitching a strong game with seven strikeouts and just one walk in seven innings, while conceding no earned runs.
Now 34-14, Hillsdale awaits the NCAA DII Tournament selection show at NCAA.com on Monday at 10 a.m., to see if the Chargers will secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and make the field for the fifth time in seven seasons.
Photo by Grace Gravino