Game 1 box score: Lake Erie 5, Hillsdale 2
Game 2 box score: Hillsdale 6, Lake Erie 2
As Saturday's windy doubleheader wore on, the Hillsdale College pitchers recovered from a tough start and was able to control the Lake Erie College bats.
A fast offensive start helped the Storm to a 5-2 win over the Chargers in the first game of their Great Midwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Simpson Field. Hillsdale bounced back for a 6-2 win in the nightcap.
The rubber match in this three-game series will be played at 1:00 Sunday.
The split leaves Hillsdale at 20-24 overall and 16-7 in the G-MAC.
Through three innings of the opener, Lake Erie had generated five runs on seven hits, taking a 5-0 lead. But over the day's last 13 innings, Charger pitchers held the Storm to a total of two runs and 10 hits.
Pitchers on both teams had good days, as each team recorded nine strikeouts. Charger starter Will Kruse went eight innings with nine strikeouts and just one walk allowed.
Senior Colin Hites hit a solo home run and was 2-for-3 in the first game. Senior Alex Walts had a hit and scored a run while DH Michael Mitchell drove in the team's other run.
The Storm jumped out to a 2-0 lead in game two, only to see the Chargers come right back to tie the game at 2 in the bottom of the second inning. Walts and Mitchell scored to knot the game up.
Walts was a factor in a four-run fifth inning that broke the game open. His double to left center scored Jake Hoover and Steven Ring to make it a 4-2 ballgame. Walts would later score on a wild pitch, and Mitchell would score his second run of the game off a double by infielder Kevin Monson.
Senior Phil Carey recorded his sixth win of the season, striking out four in six innings of work.
Walts, who ranks in Hillsdale's top five in career hits, had 2 RBI and scored twice. Hoover went 2-for-4 and Monson was 2-for-2 with a run batted in.