The Hillsdale College softball team guaranteed itself a top three finish in conference play with a dominant sweep of Walsh in a record-setting regular season finale on Saturday.

The Chargers cruised through both victories, 7-0 and 4-1, jumping out to early leads and rarely finding themselves under pressure. 

In the opener, Hillsdale scored at least one run in each of the first four innings to pull away for a 7-0 victory. Senior Hannah Hoverman started the scoring with a RBI single to left field in the first inning, and put a capper on the game in the top of the fourth with a two-run double to left center.

Ashley Strick added a two-run home run to left field, her fifth of the season, and Taylor Lewis drove in a run on a RBI single as well for the Chargers.

Joni Russell was nearly untouchable in the circle again for the Chargers to improve to 19-2 on the season and complete a clean sweep of G-MAC competition in the regular season. Russell allowed just two baserunners in a complete game one-hitter, striking out 10 and walking one in seven innings. The shutout victory is her 10th of the season, breaking the Hillsdale single-season record of nine set by Erin Hunt in 2018 and giving the decorated ace another page in the record books.

Hoverman was 3 for 4 with two doubles to lead the Chargers at the plate, Taylor Lewis also chipped in three hits and Medleigh Danchak added a double for Hillsdale, who set another record in the contest when Emma Sather stole a base in the first inning, her 32nd swipe of the year surpassing the Chargers' single-season record set by K.B. Murawski in 1991.

In the nightcap, the Chargers took a decisive 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning, on a RBI double by Strick and a two-run single by Lewis. Hillsdale added on an insurance run in the top of the fifth, as Anna Chellman paid off Hannah Hoverman's leadoff double with a sacrifice fly driving in a fourth run.

Walsh threatened in the bottom of the sixth, scoring a run to cut the deficit to 4-1, but Strick made an excellent play on a single to right field to throw a Walsh runner attempting to take third base on the play out for the final out of the inning to end the threat.

In just her second start of the season and her first since February, freshman Grace Harris was impressive for the Chargers in the circle, recording her fourth win of the season in a complete game effort, striking out one, walking none and giving up just five hits and one earned run in seven innings and needing just 64 pitches to do so.

Olivia Liguori led the Chargers at the plate in the nightcap with two hits, and Hoverman and Strick each chipped in a double. 

Hillsdale's six total walks in the doubleheader allowed the Chargers to set a third record on the day, as Hillsdale's 159 total walks this season surpasses the previous best mark in program history of 155 set by the 2021 team. In addition, Hoverman and junior Maggie Olaveson each drew their 26th walk of the season in the doubleheader, moving both of them into a three-way tie with Rachel Chamberlain from 1995 for Hillsdale's single-season walks drawn record.

The Chargers are now 33-16 overall and finish the G-MAC regular season at 19-5. Hillsdale is currently in third place in the G-MAC and the third seed in the upcoming G-MAC Tournament, but the Chargers could still move into second place if Findlay drops either game of their Sunday doubleheader with Malone to close out the regular season. Either way, Hillsdale's next contest is in the 2025 G-MAC Tournament on Wednesday at Akron Firestone Stadium, with time and opponent to be determined.

Photo by Kenneth Gaudet