The softball team swept conference rivals during its first weekend of G-MAC away competition, extending its win streak to 12 games. 

The Chargers beat the Malone University Pioneers 5-1 and 5-0 on Friday and the Findlay University Oilers 3-2 and 11-0 on Monday. 

Senior McKenna Eichholz hit a grand slam in the fifth inning of the first game against the Pioneers, helping the Chargers gain runs early in conference play while giving up only a few, according to head coach Kyle Gross. 

Eichholz said hitting became easier at the beginning of the Malone games once necessary adjustments were made to counter the pitches thrown. 

“We had to adjust,” Eichholz said. “All of us took that adjustment and tried to square up the ball as best we could and really shoot for more drives instead of pop-ups.”

Sophomore Taylor Lewis said the team performed well against Malone, with every member of the team contributing. 

“We strung together hits well, and we have also been executing well as a team,” Lewis said. “We had very solid defenses in both games and our pitchers did phenomenally.”

Gross agreed, adding that some of the smaller plays made by the Chargers created big impacts on the final scores. 

“We were able to make the correct adjustments,” Gross said. “We also executed a lot of small balls, with a lot of bunts and slaps. We did these really beautifully in both games on Friday.”

On Monday, the Chargers and Oilers both pitched well, according to Gross. The Chargers prepared for this strength from Findlay going into their second game, which Gross said contributed to their 11-run score difference. 

“We continued to hit hard ground balls in the second game,” Gross said. “That pressure on their defense made them make some errors. We had the kind of constant ground balls that they eventually made mistakes on.”

 

The Chargers originally planned to play the Walsh University Cavaliers on Saturday, but these games were canceled due to bad weather, such as strong winds and low temperatures. Gross and the Walsh University coach are working to find a date to reschedule the games. 

“We are currently working to find a date that works,” Gross said. “Due to our different schedules, that is proving difficult. So, it is yet to be determined whether we make up that game or not.”

The Chargers will play four conference games this upcoming weekend at their home stadium. Games begin on Friday against the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. On Saturday the Chargers play the Trevecca Nazarene University Trojans at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. 

Gross said he is looking forward to competing on Charger home turf this weekend. With Trevecca Nazarene University being located in Nashville, Tennessee, the home games provide extra rest opportunities for Charger players. 

“We get to practice on our field all the time,” Gross said. “We only get a few games at home each year in our conference, and they’re so precious.”