The Hillsdale College softball team took two tough losses to regional foe and GLIAC title contender Saginaw Valley State in a home-opening non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, as the Chargers were unable to come through in an extra inning loss in the first game, and fell behind early to drop the nightcap as well.

The first game was a pitcher's duel between aces Joni Russell of Hillsdale and Macy Irelan of Saginaw Valley State, both of whom looked stellar through eight innings. The two pitchers dominated the first five innings of the game, with neither team scoring and Russell in particular shutting the Cardinals down after SVSU got a runner in scoring position in three separate innings. SVSU was the first to strike, taking advantage of a Chargers error to score a go-ahead run and seize control the game, but the Cardinals' lead was short-lived, as Hillsdale took advantage of a leadoff walk by Ashley Strick in the bottom of the inning to tie the game up on a RBI single by Taylor Lewis that scored Strick from second.

The Chargers had a chance to pull ahead, potentially for good, in the bottom of the sixth after a double by Maggie Olaveson moved Lewis to third and gave Hillsdale two runners in scoring position, but the Chargers couldn't find the two-out hit as the game went to extra innings. 

In extras, Hillsdale held SVSU scoreless with a big hold in the top of the eighth, and had a golden opportunity to walk off the game with a runner at third base with just one out. But the Chargers couldn't get the fly ball or hit they needed to bring her home, and when the game moved to the ninth inning, SVSU pounced, taking advantage of another costly Chargers error to score four runs and take a massive 5-1 lead.

Down to just three outs, Hillsdale made a final push thanks to a two-run home run by Maggie Olaveson to lead off the inning and cut the deficit to 5-3. Hannah Hoverman walked in the next at bat and Anna Chellman hit a double down the left field line to put the tying run at second base, but the Chargers again couldn't cash in and made outs in the next two at bats to seal a 5-3 loss.

Russell took the hard luck loss to drop to 6-2 on the year, going eight and one-third innings with seven strikeouts, two walks and just one earned run conceded. Grace Harris finished the ninth inning for the Chargers.

At the plate, Olaveson led the Chargers with a double and a home run, and Lewis and Chellman each chipped in a single and a double for the Hillsdale.

The nightcap got away from Hillsdale early, as SVSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings, and the Chargers never got their offense going in an eventual 9-2 loss to the Cardinals. Hillsdale plated a run in the bottom of the fourth when Lewis scored on a first and third play after leading off the inning with a hit by pitch, and Olivia Liguori also scored in the bottom of the fifth for the Chargers after leading off with a hit by pitch as well, on a RBI groundout by Ashley Strick as well. But while Hillsdale plated two runs, the Chargers didn't get their first and only hit of the game until Chellman hit a hard ground ball to third base and beat out the throw in the bottom of the seventh. Without production at the plate, there was no way to keep pace with a SVSU squad that pounded out 13 hits in the contest.

Mackenzi Maxson (4-5) took the loss for Hillsdale as the starter, and Anistyn Foster went three innings in relief with three strikeouts and two walks, giving up five runs but just one earned as errors were a big problem for the Chargers in the second game as well. Grace Harris pitched the final two innings for Hillsdale in the loss.

Hillsdale is now 14-11 overall and will look to bounce back this weekend as G-MAC play starts. The Chargers travel to Ursuline for a Saturday noon doubleheader to kick off conference play, and follow up with a doubleheader at Lake Erie the next day.

Photo by Emma Purdy