While sweeping Walsh University and splitting their double header against Malone University this past week, senior Sam Catron hit her 10th season home run, helping the Hillsdale College softball team achieve an 8-2 conference record, going 20-12 overall.
The Chargers are second in conference and will be playing No. 1 team Trevecca Nazarene University this weekend.
Head coach Kyle Gross said he was proud of the team’s performances so far this season.
“We’re in a much better place this season than we have been previously,” Gross said. “Physically and mentally, everything with the team this year has been an improvement.”
Friday, April 9, (Game 1): Hillsdale, 9, Walsh, 6
Starting the game with a two-run home run, the Cavaliers took an early start, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Chargers.
Senior Sam Catron slammed a three-run home run to put the Chargers in control of the game in the bottom of the first inning.
Walsh scored another run in the top of the fifth inning, but Hillsdale secured the win with six runs over the fifth and sixth.
This first game of the doubleheader saw strong performances from senior catcher Madison Stoner, who went three for four at the plate, and senior pitcher Dana Weidinger, who earned her 12th win of the season by striking out six and only walking three.
Stoner said that her strong offensive performance can be attributed to her ability to focus and remain calm when she’s at the plate, which was something she’s learned throughout this season.
“I’ve learned how to ignore the background noise when I’m at the plate and to just relax until I get a pitch,” Stoner said. “My consistency has come from my ability to be calm at the plate, which actually speaks a lot to the training we get from our coaches because this is the best season I’ve had to date.”
Friday, April 9 (Game 2): Hillsdale 11, Walsh, 6
The Chargers proved the strength of their offense by scoring seven runs in the first three innings of the nightcap against the Cavaliers.
RBI singles from Stoner, freshman Hailey Holtman, and senior Sarah Wojcik led the way for Catron to hit another three-run home run in the bottom of the second.
Walsh attempted a comeback against the Chargers for a second time, but junior Regan Gensiejewski answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Hillsdale some breathing room.
“Our offense has been extremely strong the entire conference season, so we have a great sense of confidence in ourselves,” Stoner said.
Monday, April 12 (Game 1): Hillsdale, 5, Malone, 3
Attempting to recover from deficits the entire first game, the Chargers put on a strong defensive show and were able to score runs when it mattered.
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Stoner hit a solo home run to tie the game up. Next at bat, Catron hit a ball straight down center field and narrowly missed achieving her 10th home run of the season.
“We have a fence at the back of our field that’s blue with a white top,” Catron said. “At my first at bat, I hit the ball and it chipped off a piece of the white part of the fence, so I missed hitting a home run by an inch. That chip was mocking me for the rest of the game.”
Scoring two more runs apiece over the next six innings, the game was all tied up going into the bottom of the seventh. Following Stoner’s single, Catron stepped up to bat.
“I was just trying to stay calm. The first pitch looked like the perfect pitch, but I fouled it off and was so mad,” Catron said. “I looked at my coach and he told me to keep my hands high, so my only thought was to keep my hands up. It was the perfect pitch, I kept my hands high, and I scored my 10th home run of the season right over centerfield where that chip was.”
The Chargers won the game with the Catron’s walk-off home run. Catron is currently leading G-MAC’s in home runs and points scored, with 10 home runs and 29 points scored.
Monday April 12 (Game 2): Hillsdale, 7, Malone, 9
Scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Chargers came out swinging in the nightcap against the Cavaliers.
Stoner hit a two-run home run that was followed by an RBI single from senior Emma Johnson.
However, Malone scored eight more runs over the next four innings to give them a 9-6 lead going into the bottom of the fifth.
“We rallied up several hits in the first inning and were on a high, but Malone has a very strong offense and they battled back,” Gross said. “We clawed back again, but at the end of the game, we were just one hit short. We made no mistakes that game, they just had one more big hit than we did.”
After Johnson scored a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth, the Chargers rallied to get the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs, senior Madison Rathbun hit the ball to centerfield, but the Cavaliers made a diving catch to end the game.
Up Next:
“Going into this weekend, we’re going back to the fundamentals and focusing on the small things,” Stoner said. “It’s the small things that make the difference in games, especially against strong opponents.”
The Chargers are traveling down South to play two doubleheaders this weekend against Trevecca Nazarene University and Kentucky Wesleyan University.
“We’re so pumped for this weekend, we’re so ready,” Catron said. “We’ve been an underdog ever since I’ve been on this team, so we’re not one to shy away from number one seeds or undefeated records. Our team has been working extremely hard, so we will see good results no matter what the outcome of the score is. As long as we play our game, I know we’ll do well.”
