Game 1 box score: Hillsdale 11, Findlay 7
Game 2 box score: Hillsdale 9, Findlay 5
The Charger baseball team crushed seven home runs across its two wins over the University of Findlay Sunday afternoon, completing an impressive four-game weekend sweep of the Oilers.
Hillsdale took game one 11-7, and won the nightcap 9-5, improving its record to 15-16 overall and 8-8 in the GLIAC. The wins push Hillsdale into sixth place in the GLIAC – the top six teams qualify for the conference postseason tournament.
The Oilers came into this weekend's series sporting one of the GLIAC's best pitching staffs. Findlay had a team earned run average of 2.92 entering play this weekend. But the Chargers battered that staff to the tune of 39 runs and 10 home runs in the four games. Hillsdale's muscles were extra flexed Sunday, as the team crushed four homers in both ends of the doubleheader.
The Oilers took a quick 3-0 lead in game one, but starting in the fourth inning, Hillsdale's power took over the day.
The team's lone senior starter, Ethan Wiskur, set the tone by leading off the fourth with a double to deep center field. It wouldn't be the last time one of his batted balls would visit that part of the stadium. Hillsdale scored two in the fourth, but the Oilers responded with two in the top of the fifth to take a 5-2 lead. It would be the last time the Oilers led.
Sophomore Steven Ring grabbed the GLIAC home run lead, hitting his 10th round-tripper of the season to make it a 5-4 ballgame. Wiskur made it a back-to-back with a solo home run, tying the game up at 5. After a Michael Mitchell walk, junior Alex Walts hit his first home run of the season to put the Chargers on top for good.
Hillsdale pushed four more across in the sixth, with the big blow coming off the bat of sophomore Colin Boerst, who hit a two-run home run that scored Colin Hites.
Boerst was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Wiskur was 3-for-3, scoring twice, and Walts drove in three. Toppi had 2 RBI, and Ring drove in two and scored two.
Freshman Jeff Burch picked up his third win of the season, working his way through some jams and making good pitches at the most important times. Junior Phil Carey went 1 2/3 innings, getting his third save of the season.
In game two, Hillsdale scored twice in the second inning and five more in the third to run away with a big lead early on. Wiskur hit his sixth and seventh home runs of the season, while Boerst went deep for the second straight game. Dylan Lottinville also hit a home run, his third.
Wiskur and Lottinville each had 4 RBI and three hits in the 9-5 win. Boerst was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Ring and Walts each had a hit, a run scored and a run batted in.
Freshman Andrew Verbrugge pitched a career-high 6 1/3 innings, striking out three in earning his second win of the season.