The Hillsdale College softball team, led by senior Laura Homan’s strong pitching performance, split a doubleheader with nationally-ranked Grand Valley State University yesterday, bringing their GLIAC record to 8-4.
The Chargers shut out the Lakers, ranked No. 14 in the nation, 3-0 in the first game. But Grand Valley came out on top in the second game 3-2.
“The whole key to the first game was how Laura pitched,” head coach Joe Abraham said. “She pitched her way out of a couple tough jams.”
Homan said her pitching felt right in last weekend’s series against Lake Superior State University.
“I felt that in my pitching I was hitting my spots,” she said. “I think it’s just an adjustment and it takes a while to get back on balance. I just clicked.”
Homan also commended freshman pitcher Katie Ardrey on a strong performance in the second game.
Homan also had a big game offensively with three hits in four at-bats and two runs scored. Senior first baseman Jen Berlet also had an outstanding game with three hits in four at-bats and two RBIs. Abraham said the Chargers also played solid defensively.
Abraham said the team has been batting in two to four runs a game. He said he hopes the team will improve its batting in practice, while also noting the women have shown improvement in base running.
“We ran the bases really well, and we were aggressive, and that got us one of our runs in the first game,” he said. “We played a very good mental game in both games.”
It was the aggressive base running that helped secure one of Hillsdale’s runs in the third inning of the first game. Senior Jessica Guertin doubled, sending Homan to third base, and then kept running on the throw, driving Homan home and getting an RBI.
In the second game, the Chargers couldn’t hold off the Lakers again, though they put up a fight.
“Grand Valley earned all three of their runs,” Abraham said. “We didn’t give them anything.”
Even though Grand Valley is one of the top teams in the nation, Abraham said all of the teams in the GLIAC are very competitive this year.
“That’s the way the GLIAC has been this year,” he said. “Literally anybody can beat anybody. Grand Valley State is really, really good, but we played two close games with them.”
Over the weekend, the Chargers went 3-1 in a series against Lake Superior State University in their first home games of the season.
On Saturday the Chargers took the first game 3-0 but were defeated in the second 9-1.
“We just didn’t hit the ball [in the second game]”, sophomore catcher Mary Depner said. “The GLIAC is a long-ball conference. If you’re not hitting well, you’re not going to do as well as you’d like.”
But in Sunday’s doubleheader, the Chargers came back strong and shut out Lake Superior State 4-0 and 2-0.
“We came back with fire in our eyes, and we knew what we needed to do,” Depner said. “Going out there, we knew we were the better team.”
Homan had another standout pitching performance, throwing two shut out games over the weekend. And in Sunday’s 4-0 victory, she threw a no-hitter.
“Our pitching is on fire,” Depner said. “As a catcher behind the plate, I didn’t have to do a lot of work back there.”
Depner said the atmosphere of playing at home was also helpful. She said with the new outfield fence and batting cages, a game-day crew to tidy up the field, and an announcer, the team had a lot of fun.
“It was different,” she said. “We’ve never really gotten that kind of attention as a team.”
The Chargers will face Ferris State University in away games on Friday and Saturday.
