The Hillsdale College baseball team lost the first of a three-game series on a cold Saturday afternoon in Massilon, Ohio.
The Chargers were on the losing end of a 4-2 decision to Malone University in a game played at Jefferson School in Massilon. The teams will play a doubleheader Sunday to wrap up their South Division series.
Malone scored single runs in the first and second innings to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Hillsdale got one back in the third, but the Pioneers responded with runs in the fifth and sixth to widen their lead.
Hillsdale outhit Malone 10-9, but the Chargers stranded 11 batters on base, compared to 7 for the Pioneers.
Steven Ring and Ryan O'Hearn each drove in runs, with Ring going 2-for-5 with a double. Senior Alex Walts had a pair of singles while Jake Hoover was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
Senior Will Kruse took the loss. He allowed just two earned runs and struck out four batters in seven innings of work.