Game 1 box score: Hillsdale 5, Findlay 4 (12 inn.)
Game 2 box score: Hillsdale 4, Findlay 2
The Charger baseball team snapped a seven-game losing streak at an optimal time Sunday afternoon in Defiance, Ohio.
Hillsdale rallied in both ends of the doubleheader against the University of Findlay, winning game one 5-4 in 12 innings and game two 4-2. Hillsdale is now 5-9 overall and 2-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Statistics from game two were not immediately available, but this post will be updated once they are.
Trailing 4-2 in the eighth inning, sophomore James Krick stepped up with a two-run double scoring Jake Hoover and Colin Boerst to tie the game at four.
Neither team scored over the next three innings. In the bottom of the 12th inning, freshman Cooper Peterson got the game-winning rally started with a leadoff double. Senior Steven Ring was intentionally walked, and a sacrifice bunt attempt by infielder Kevin Monson resulted in a throwing error, which allowed Peterson to score the deciding run.
Ring hit his fourth home run of the season and 39th of his career earlier in the game. Krick was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and Michael Mitchell had a pinch-hit RBI.
Sophomore David Toth turned in a marathon outing in relief of starter Andrew Verbrugge. Toth picked up the win, going six innings with five strikeouts and no earned runs allowed.
In game two, Rob Zurawski notched his first home run of the season and Boerst belted a two-run double that helped Hillsdale come back from a 2-1 deficit to post the 4-2 victory. Hoover was 2-for-3 with a run scored and Monson had a hit, drew a walk and scored a run.
Starting pitcher Jonathan Lapshan was very effective, throwing six innings without walking a single batter. He struck out three and earned his second win of the season. Chris Stewart came on to record the save, shutting the Oilers down in the seventh inning with a strikeout.