The Chardon Hilltoppers are off to a great 2023 softball season.
Game photos click here.
The Chardon Hilltoppers are off to a great 2023 softball season.
In fact, in their last five games, the Hilltoppers went 4-1, outscoring their opponents 57-13.
Victories were claimed against NDCL (11-1), Madison (14-1), Walsh Jesuit (16-11) and Poland Seminary (15-0). Chardon’s only loss came in a 2-1 defeat in the first game of a doubleheader April 15 against Poland Seminary.
Hilltoppers Head Coach Stuart Landies talked about his team’s excellent performances.
“Great week for the Hilltoppers, 4-1 this week, and we did it all at home,” Landies said. “We got 14 kids on the team and they all hit. My biggest challenge is trying to figure out which nine are going to play every day.
“In the circle (we have) Jenna Hendricks, Sydney Murray, and then we also got Amy O’Brien. We’ve got three girls at the JV level that could be pitching for most varsity teams. Again, it’s a tribute to the people working behind the scenes to make this program what it is.”
A large part of this success for the Hilltoppers can be attributed to seniors Sydney Murray and Madison Zombory.
In the last five games, the two have combined for five home runs and 23 RBI.
Murray went 8-15 with three home runs and 11 RBIs, while Zombory went 8-14 with two home runs and 12 RBIs.
Murray and Zombory discussed their performances at the plate.
“This week has been super exciting. We have been full of energy and it’s so much fun competing,” Zombory said. “The home run against Walsh, I think there were two other runners on base, and I just saw the perfect pitch and I just took it right to center. And then the same thing with today (April 15 against Poland Seminary), I took it right down the middle to centerfield.”
Murray also discussed what a great week it was for Hilltoppers softball.
“It has been just truly amazing, the warm weather and getting to play so many home games; it’s been so fun,” she said. “Everyone’s energy has just been up all week, and it’s been great.”
Murray mentioned that she was not expecting to hit three home runs this week.
“Really you can’t think about it (at the plate),” she said. “You just got to go up there and do your job. Your team is counting on you, so you just got to go up there and hit the ball.
“I just wanted to get my runners in. It was great.”
For the efforts, Coach Landies also credited his coaching staff.
“Coach Tosti, he coaches the hitters, he does a great job,” Landies said. “I don’t know anybody that knows more about hitting than he does. The girls totally buy into what he is coaching.”
So far this season, Grace Legan leads the team with a .512 batting average. Amy O’Brien is batting .500, and Jadyn Tarantino is hitting .474.
Leading the Hilltoppers on the mound, Jenna Hendricks is 4-1 on the season with a 1.79 ERA. She has had 47 strikeouts in 54 innings pitched.
The Hilltoppers would next face Willoughby South (April 17), Eastlake North (April 19), Austintown Fitch (April 20), and Eastlake North again (April 21).
