The Hillsdale College softball team finished its week-long Hawai'i trip with two more tight, highly-competitive games, finishing with its fourth split of the week to return to the mainland 4-4 overall.

Hillsdale used a big-time rally in the top of the seventh inning to knock off Hawai'i Pacific 6-5 in their final game of the trip. Trailing 3-2 and down to its final three outs, Hillsdale opened the inning with a leadoff double by Sydney Davis, then took advantage of two errors to plate four runs. Anna Chellman and Ronnie Craft hit back-to-back RBI singles to help the Chargers pull ahead, Emili Blackie scored on a bases-loaded hit by pitch, and Craft also reached home on a fielder's choice to give Hillsdale a 6-3 lead.

Those extra runs would prove important as Hawai'i Pacific made a late charge in the bottom of the inning, stringing together four straight singles to plate two runs and close the gap to 6-5. With the tying run at third, Hillsdale's Mackenzi Maxson induced the game-ending ground-out to help the Chargers escape with the victory and earning a save in the process.

Hillsdale initially took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, scoring a run on a Hawai'i Pacific fielding error and then adding a second run when Maggie Olaveson stole home on a failed pickoff attempt. The Sharks responded with three runs over the third, fourth and fifth inning to pull ahead, before Hillsdale took the lead for good late.

Ronnie Craft was 2 for 4 at the plate to lead the Chargers in the victory, and Maggie Olaveson added a hit and a RBI as well for Hillsdale. Anistyn Foster got the start for the Chargers, pitching five solid innings with three strikeouts and two walks, while Grace Harris (1-0) picked up the win in relief with a strikeout in an inning and a third of work, and Maxson (S, 1) recorded the final two outs to get the save.

Hillsdale started the day with a heartbreaking 7-6 loss to Nebraska Kearney in a hard-fought contest that went a marathon ten innings. The Chargers fell behind 4-0 early, but erased the deficit in the bottom of the fifth. Maggie Olaveson and Anna Chellman each hit a RBI single, Emma Sather drew a bases-loaded walk, and Chellman scored on a ground out by Ronnie Craft to tie up the game and eventually force extra innings.

In extras, both teams were able to score the international tiebreak runner placed on second in the eighth and ninth innings to extend the contest. After the Lopers got the tiebreak runner home in the top of the 10th, Hillsdale was able to get its runner to third with one out, but was unable to get her home as UNK took the contest.

Emma Sather was 2 for 4 at the plate with a RBI to lead Hillsdale in the loss, Taylor Lewis added two hits and two stolen bases, and Maggie Olaveson and Ronnie Craft each added a hit and two RBIs. 

On the mound, Joni Russell (0-1) took the loss in relief in extra innings, striking out one and giving up no earned runs in one and two-thirds innings of work. Mackenzi Maxson got the start and pitched three innings with two strikeouts and two walks, and Grace Harris pitched five and a third innings of relief with no earned runs conceded as well.

The Chargers leave the island with a 4-4 record and a solid start offensively, as well as plenty of lessons learned and things to work on. The Chargers will take the next two weeks off to practice and improve before returning to action in the Rosemont Dome Invitational on Friday, Feb. 20 in Chicago, Illinois, with two contests against Minnesota-Moorhead and Minnesota-Duluth as part of a five game weekend.

Photo by Spencer Honda, Hawai'i-Hilo Athletics