With rain and snow predicted throughout the day, the Hillsdale College softball team had a narrow window to get its home and G-MAC opening doubleheader against Lake Erie in on Friday.

The Chargers made the most of it, rolling past the visiting Storm in under three hours, with 9-1 and 8-0 run-rule victories in five innings.

Strong pitching played a big role in Hillsdale's dominant victories. Freshman Joni Russell, fresh off being named the G-MAC Pitcher of the Week, had another impressive start, going all five innings with seven strikeouts, no walks, and giving up just five hits and one earned run in the first game of the day, while sophomore Erin Kapteyn pitched a shutout in the nightcap, striking out nine, walking one and giving up just three hits.

Both starters were buoyed by an opportunistic Charger offense that scored runs in bunches. Hillsdale took advantage of four Storm errors in the second inning of the first game to plate five runs, with sophomore Hailey Holtman belting a two-run home run, freshman Olivia Latimer adding a two-run double and Jenna Cantalupo chipping in a RBI single.

Up 5-1 in the bottom of the third, Reagan Gensiejewski tacked on a RBI single and Natalie Stepanenko drove in an other run on a sacrifice fly for Hillsdale. The Chargers put the game away in the bottom of the fourth, using a RBI single by Madison Rathbun and a sacrifice fly by Cantalupo to get a large enough lead to trigger the run-rule at the end of five and finish the game.

Rathbun went 2 for 3 at the plate to lead a Hillsdale team that scored nine runs on nine hits.

The second inning was fruitful for the Chargers in the second game as well, as Hillsdale plated another five runs. Senior Natalie Stepanenko hit a two-run double, Cantalupo chipped in a RBI double and Latimer added a RBI single as well.

With rain approaching and a chance to end the doubleheader early, the Chargers jumped on it, plating three runs in the bottom of the fifth to walk off. Gensiejewski had the game-ending RBI double for the Chargers, and Rathbun drove in two runs on a single as well in the inning.

Stepanenko and senior Madison Stoner each put up a single and a double to lead the Chargers at the plate in the nightcap.

Hillsdale (12-16, 2-0 G-MAC) looks to continue to build off of today's solid start in conference play with a road trip tomorrow, traveling to Tiffin to take on the Dragons in another G-MAC doubleheader. Tiffin was one of the top four teams in the G-MAC last season, making wins over the Dragons critical if the Chargers hope to chase the regular season title.

Photo by Gwen Buchhop