Five different players belted home runs in Hillsdale's 17-9 baseball win over Walsh University Saturday afternoon. One of those home runs made a bit of history that could be added to Sunday.
Senior outfielder Luke Ortel's two-run shot over the right-center field fence in the seventh inning was his third hit of the day and his 100th of the season, tying the GLIAC record, currently shared by Cody Grice, a 2010 graduate of Grand Valley State University. Ortel's next hit would give him one of the conference's coveted records all to himself.
The Chargers pulled even with the Cavaliers in this regular season-ending series thanks to getting back on track with their offense. The team had gone five straight games without reaching double figures in runs scored, but had no trouble meeting that standard in its school-record 29th win of the season.
Senior infielder Michael O'Sullivan got things started with a solo home run in the second inning, cutting into a two-run lead the Cavs gained in the top of the second. It was a feel-good hit for O'Sullivan, who hadn't started a game since April 17, but easily justified his return to the lineup with a terrific all-around game. O'Sullivan was 2-for-4 with a run batted in and two runs scored.
The offense got rolling in the bottom of the fifth with seven runs that broke the game open. The first eight batters of the inning all reached base, highlighted by a double from Connor Bartlett and a two-run single by Chris McDonald.
On his record-tying day, Ortel went 3-for-5 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. McDonald drove in 5 to increase his school-record RBI total to 121 for his career (55 this season). McDonald now has 12 home runs, one spot away from second place on the school's single-season top 10 list.
Bartlett also homered, and junior Ethan Wiskur crushed his fifth home run of the season in the victory.
PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Klopfer