After just one week of practice, the Hillsdale softball team played its first games of the fall season last weekend in Canton, Michigan. The Chargers tied 8-8 against Cleary University and defeated University of Detroit Mercy 2-0 on Saturday. On Sunday, the Chargers defeated both University of Michigan Dearborn 8-4 and Grand Rapids Community College 11-1.
“For the most part we came out just like it was a continuation of last spring because we only have three freshmen,” head coach Joe Abraham said. “The three freshmen are being asked to learn stuff on the fly because there are so few of them. The coaching staff just wants to pick up where we left off and they have to get onboard going 70 miles per hour.”
Despite having little time to adjust, the freshmen came ready to play according to Abraham.
“Katie Kish got on base several times, Amanda Marra hit the ball hard, and Carly Gouge also looked solid at the plate,” Abraham said. “There are a few things that we’re still teaching them, but overall they fit in just fine.”
In addition, Abraham said the sophomore class stood out as Haley Lawrence hit over .500 for the Chargers and Kelsey Gockman “hit into some bad luck but hit the ball hard.”
Senior pitchers Sarah Grunert and Sarah Klopfer worked together for a steady weekend on the mound. Grunert and Klopfer combined to shutout D-I school Detroit Mercy on Saturday.
“Both Sarahs pitched well,” Abraham said. “Grunert had a couple rocky innings at the very start of the first game, but after that they both pitched really well.”
Yesterday, the Chargers hosted Kellogg Community College in a double-header that will not count towards the teams’ records.
Senior catcher Danielle Garceau hit a walk-off single to give the Chargers a 3-2 victory in game one. In game two, the Chargers turned up the intensity to secure an 8-2 win.
“Kellogg is a really good community college with a pitcher who’s being looked at by a bunch of Division I schools,” Abraham said. “They regularly send girls on to Division I schools.”
On Oct. 3 and 4 the Chargers will hit the road again to make its annual stop at Ohio State University. The Chargers will play in a tournament against Division I, II, and III competition.
“That’s always a fun tournament because we have a lot of girls from Ohio and we recruit there every bit as much as we do in Michigan,” Abraham said.
On October 9, Hillsdale will host Jackson College, which is coached by Hillsdale softball alumn Jamie Vandenburg, to wrap up its fall season.
Assistant coach Tristan Wilcox was impressed by her first weekend on the field with the Chargers.
“I enjoyed seeing the girls in action, seeing them on the field, and seeing them interact,” Wilcox said. “It’s so enjoyable coaching them because they’re a smart group of girls who know the game really well.”
