A late-inning comeback fell just short for the Hillsdale College baseball team on Senior Day Sunday afternoon.
After beiung shut out for seven innings, the Chargers scored twice in the eighth and once in the ninth, but could not overcome a four-run deficit in a 4-0 loss to Lake Erie College at Simpson Field. Hillsdale now stands at 20-25 overall and 16-8 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Storm starter Michael Stryffeler carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning when senior Ryan O'Hearn broke it up with a single to center. O'Hear would be in the middle of a lot of the action on a day where he and his fellow seniors were honored in a pre-game ceremony.
In the top of the fifth inning, Lake Erie loaded the bases with no outs, and were able to score three runs, two off a base hit and one on a throwing error, to extend its lead to 4-0. The threat continued with just one out, but O'Hearn caught a fly ball to center, then made a perfect throw to the plate to turn the 8-2 double play, with catcher Steven Ring accurately applying the tag to end the Storm rally.
Hillsdale was kept off the scoreboard until the eighth inning, when O'Hearn launched a double to center, scoring Kevin Monson with the team's first run of the game. Senior Colin Hites followed with a single, bringing O'Hearn home, making it a 4-2 game.
Junior Dylan Lottinville opened the ninth inning with a triple deep to the right field corner, and he'd eventually score on a ground ball by Michael Mitchell, trimming the deficit to one. But Hillsdale's bid to tie the game would end one batter later.
O'Hearn finished the game 2-for-3 with a run batted in, a run scored, and his 30th stolen base of the season. His 30 steals are the most by a Charger player in 24 years.