The Hillsdale College softball team had a happy Senior Day on Thursday, blitzing visiting Kentucky Wesleyan 11-1 and 12-1 in two five-inning contests to send its six seniors out on a high note.
All nine Chargers in the lineup recorded at least one hit in the opener as Hillsdale's dynamic offenses scored 11 runs on 15 hits. Hillsdale took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a RBI single by
Sydney Davis, then blew the game wide open in the second with seven more runs to pull away.
Nathalie Hagle had a two-run double to lead the Chargers in that inning,
Olivia Liguori chipped in a RBI double, and Davis and seniors
Taylor Lewis and
Anna Chellman each added a RBI single as well.
The Chargers continued to score as the game wore on. Davis hit a RBI double for her third run-scoring hit of the game in the top of the third, and Lewis added a two-run single in the fourth to put the game away.
Senior
Mackenzi Maxson recorded her ninth win of the season in a complete game effort, pitching all five innings with four strikeouts, one walk, and just five hits and one earned run conceded.
The nightcap came a little harder for the Chargers, who again jumped out to an early lead on a RBI triple by Lewis in the bottom of the first and added another run on a sacrifice fly by Hagle, but Hillsdale was up just 3-1 after two innings when the Chargers came up to bat in the third.
Once again, a massive offensive inning would help the Chargers pull away. Hillsdale plated nine runs on seven hits in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of a key KWC error to put the game out of reach. Senior
Maggie Olaveson and Chellman each hit a two-run double, while Liguori and
Ronnie Craft each added a RBI double and
Sydney Davis hit a RBI single as well.
Katie Jonas (7-4) picked up the win on the mound for the Chargers, striking out one, walking none, and giving up just four hits and one earned run in four and a third innings of softball.
Grace Harris entered in relief in the top of the fifth and retired both of the batters she faced, one by strikeout, to finish off the victory.
On a day when she was one of the players being celebrated, Lewis had a pair of contests to remember, going a combined 5 for 8 with a double, a triple and four RBIs. Lewis became just the fifth player in program history to reach 200 hits with her production on the day, a rare milestone that encapsulates what the senior has meant to the Chargers offensively over the past four years.
Sydney Davis went a perfect 4 for 4 with a double and four RBIs as well for the Chargers,
Ronnie Craft was 4 for 6 with a double and four stolen bases, and
Olivia Liguori added three hits across the doubleheader as well.
Today's victories were the 134th and 135th for Hillsdale's six-player senior class, which includes starters Maxson, Olaveson, Chellman, Lewis and centerfielder
Emma Sather, as well as substitute
Payton Adkins, who joined the team this spring after four years on the Chargers women's basketball team. That core group has been a part of one of the greatest runs in Hillsdale College softball history, including two G-MAC Tournament championships, two NCAA Tournament appearances and the program's deepest-ever NCAA Tournament run last season. This group will look to add to that string of accomplishments with the remainder of the 2026 campaign.
Hillsdale is now 27-16 overall, 15-5 in G-MAC play and in a three-way tie for third place in the standings, two games back of leader Tiffin heading into the final weekend of the regular season. The Chargers host their final home doubleheader of the season tomorrow against Walsh, starting at 12:30 PM at Johnny Williams Field.
