Chargers drop road games, move to 5-8

By Jilllian Parks

Social Media Manager

The Hillsdale baseball team lost all four games in its series against the Missouri University of Science and Technology Miners this weekend, scoring 14 runs against the Miners’ 37.

After 13 games, the Chargers now have a 5-8 record with a .237 team batting average, and a .346 on-base percentage.

“This was a rough weekend,” junior outfielder Lewis Beals said. “We didn’t play well all around, specifically us hitters. If we plan on winning a lot of games this season we need to be better at the plate. Frankly, our pitching staff has carried us through our victories this year and we need to find a way to help them out.”

In game one, senior pitcher Will Gifford pitched six innings, but allowed three runs in the first inning after two hit-by-pitches and two singles. The Chargers had a total of five hits for the game, leaving two runners on base in the fifth and seventh innings.

“An off week and spring break couldn’t come at a better time for us, and we are going to take this next week as an opportunity to get healthy, recharge, and reevaluate our roles going into conference play,” head Coach Tom Vessella said. “We do not have any more

Swim

time to waste. How we come out of this little time off will tell us everything about who we are as a team.”

Games two and three saw the Miners pulling ahead in the latter half of the game. Game two remained close until the Miners scored four

MacLean said. “I struggled a bit more than other weekends in the third inning to stay consistent in the strike zone. I need to continue to get better each week and keep doing my best to give the team a chance to win.”

In game four, the Char-

Ailes said. “Everybody’s been gunning pretty hard for those four spots on that A-Team. That’s the best chance we’ll get at winning a gold medal equivalent in college. You’re there with the other three best people.”

Despite all three teams competing, many team members say they have fought hard to gain a position on the A-team. A good time is considered shooting five targets in 2.5 seconds, with quarters of a second determining who makes the cut. All shooters have attended practice for months, three times per week, in rain, ice, and snow.

“The competition has really been truncated in that everybody has a very similar set of skills, with a quarter-second timing difference between people,” Ailes said. “Coach Adam went with other considerations, like consistency and people who’ve been to Nationals before. People will some-

Softball

MacLean said. “We need to continue to get better at staying focused on the task at hand and working towards the end goal. As a pitching staff, we need to stay confident and know that we are good enough to compete and stay locked in.”

The Chargers will play one game against Saginaw Valley State University March 14 in Saginaw County. They will play Trevecca Nazarene University in a four game series to open the Great Midwest Athletic Competition March 17-18. They will also play one game against Grand Valley State University March 22.

“This week in practice we will just be digging deep and grinding out reps to get ready for the conference schedule,” Beals said. “We’ve played some really good teams so far in our non-conference start to the year, and it has been a really good tune-up.” times shoot poorly when the pressure’s on, who’ve never been there before.”

Once players can put last weekend’s losses behind them, the team can focus on important G-MAC matchups, Beals said.

The action shooting team has a variety of members, with some shooting for the first time at Hillsdale, and others being military veterans.

At the end of the practice on March 6, it was announced that Ailes, Greg Clement, Zechariah Steiger, and Will Galstererwill be competing for the A-Team.

“Our A squad has a very good shot at taking it,” Grohs said. “It’s like track. It’s a very mental game.”

While the B and C teams could also win in their respective categories, the athletes guess that Team A has the strongest chance at winning first.

“I’m very blessed that I get to work with these guys,” assistant coach Michael “Doc” Sweeney said. “I haven’t prepared them, they’ve prepared themselves.”

Softball exits invitational 1-3 after facing top regional teams

By Olivia Pero Assistant Editor

runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Chargers jumped to a 4-0 lead in the beginning and held the lead into the seventh inning until the Miners hit a walk-off grand slam.

“I felt pretty good this weekend on the mound,” sophomore pitcher Tommy gers opened the game with a run in the first inning, but the Miners responded with six runs in the bottom of the second and kept the pressure on for the rest of the game to win 14-4.

“We really struggled to be consistent on the mound and at the plate as a team,”

“We have to have the ability to mentally flush this weekend and turn our eyes to the part of our season that really matters, which is conference play,” Beals said. “I’m confident we will find our stride. We have talent, experience, and leadership. Can’t ask for much more.”

The Hillsdale softball team won one game out of a four-game series in the University of Illinois-Springfield Invitational March 4-5, after facing top regional teams: the Quincy Hawks, the Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars, and the McKendree Bearcats.

The Chargers lost two games by one run, but beat McKendree 5-2 in the third game.

“We would’ve loved to have come out of this weekend with a couple more wins, but we played pretty well,” head coach Kyle Gross said.

Despite an RBI single from senior first baseman Jenna Cantalupo that brought sophomore infielder and utility player Ashley Strick in, and an RBI double from junior middle infielder Hailey Holtman, the Chargers lost the first game 5-4 to Quincy.

In the second game, sophomore pitcher Joni Russell pitched nine innings to Illinois Springfield, but the Chargers ultimately lost 3-2.

Holtman said she can see Vis being a leader among the pitching staff moving forward after her performance against McKendree in the third game.

“Emma Vis started that game and pitched amazingly,” junior catcher McKenna Eichholz said. “She did not walk a single batter which is very impressive considering the number of batters she faced.”

In the last game against Quincy, the Chargers lost 3-1 but freshman utility player Anna Chellman hit her first home run of the season.

Gross said the team had some good performances this weekend but needed a few more runs in order to have more victories.

“A couple of our freshmen got their first career hits this weekend, which is a great accomplishment for them as well as a good sign for the team that our performance is beginning to ramp up all around,” Holtman said.

According to Holtman, the competition in the beginning of the season is intended to be tough, and the Chargers are pushed to play at a high level early in the season so they are prepared for conference and the battle for regional rankings.

“The competition we are playing right now is very good,” Eichholz said. “They are all regional teams, and it’s important to play good around them so it can help our regional ranking.”

Moving forward, Holtman said the team will work on bringing energy the entire game and having a true competitor’s mindset for each and every pitch.

“Considering the team’s performance this weekend, I think the team is quickly approaching the quality of play we’ve been striving for all along,” Holtman said.

“The small pieces are beginning to come together and all we’re missing is a little spark to give us the edge we’re looking for over our opponents.”

Over spring break, the Chargers will play 12 games in Florida, competing against teams including the Queens College Knights, the Florida Southern Water Moccasins, and the Molloy Lions.

“Going to Florida is a great opportunity for us to keep playing as well as bond with each other,” Eichholz said. “We will be playing regional competition down there so these games are very important. We want to come out of Florida hot as we go into conference.”