Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Hillsdale College softball team locked up a top four finish in the G-MAC and kept the team's slim hopes of a share of the regular season title alive with a hard-fought sweep of Cedarville on the road on Thursday.

It's the first time in seven seasons as a G-MAC member that the Chargers have swept the Yellow Jackets after six consecutive doubleheader splits. Cedarville once again didn't make things easy on Hillsdale, as a seventh-inning run allowed the Chargers to take a 1-0 victory in the opener, and then Hillsdale rallied from a 5-0 deficit with 10 unanswered runs to take the nightcap as well.

The first game was a classic pitcher's duel, as Hillsdale ace Joni Russell and Cedarville ace Maya Merril each pitched a three-hitter in an impressive display in the circle for both teams. After six innings of frustration, the Chargers finally broke through for the game's only run in the top of the seventh. Senior Hannah Hoverman drew a leadoff walk and advanced into scoring position on a passed ball, with fellow senior Emma Vis coming up with the clutch single through the right side to get Hoverman home for the game's winning run.

Now 18-2 on the season, Russell threw her ninth shutout of the campaign, tying the Hillsdale single-season record set by Erin Hunt in 2018. The senior struck out nine and allowed just six baserunners in another commanding performance that leaves her one win away from a perfect season in G-MAC play entering the final doubleheader of 2025.

Vis had two hits for the Chargers in the 1-0 win, and Hoverman added a double for the team's three hits of the contest.

The nightcap was a much wilder and higher-scoring affair. Hillsdale looked to be in extreme trouble early as the Yellow Jackets took advantage of a three-error inning by the Chargers to jump out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second.

The Chargers were undeterred, however, clawing a run back in the top of the third on a RBI sacrifice bunt by Hoverman that scored Emma Sather from third. Hillsdale then tied the game in the top of the fifth, stringing together five straight hits to score four runs, including a RBI triple by Maggie Olaveson, and RBI singles by Anna Chellman and Medleigh Danchak. 

Hillsdale pulled ahead for good in the top of the sixth on another extra-base hit by Olaveson, a RBI double to left field that gave the Chargers a 6-5 edge. In the top of the seventh, the Chargers put the game away, taking advantage of Cedarville's three error inning to score four runs, including a RBI triple by Olivia Liguori and a RBI double by Taylor Lewis.

Grace Harris (3-1) got the well-deserved win in relief for the Chargers, stepping into a difficult situation and pitching five scoreless innings with just four hits and no walks allowed to give Hillsdale space to get back into the game.

At the plate, Lewis went 3 for 3 to lead Hillsdale, while Olaveson, Danchak and Davis all chipped in two hits as well, with Olaveson finishing with a double and a triple and Danchak a double.

Hillsdale is now 31-16 overall, 17-5 in G-MAC play, and heads into the final doubleheader of the regular season at Walsh on Saturday still holding an outside chance at a share of the G-MAC regular season crown, though they'll need a lot of help to make it happen. The Chargers will first need to sweep the Cavaliers, and also need current G-MAC leader Tiffin, currently 19-3, to drop both halves of its Saturday doubleheader at Malone, and second-place Findlay to lose at least one of their final four games at Ashland on Saturday and Malone on Sunday. Beyond a chance at the crown, Hillsdale also can improve its seeding in the G-MAC Tourney, and its resume for a potential at-large bid with a strong showing in the season finale.