Game 1 box score: Grand Valley State 8, Hillsdale 0
Game 2 box score: Hillsdale 8, Grand Valley State 3
The Hillsdale College baseball team concluded its home GLIAC schedule with a doubleheader split with longtime rival Grand Valley State University.
Behind a superior pitching performance, the Lakers won game 1 8-0, holding the high-powered Charger offense to just three hits. But the Hillsdale bats got going in game 2 in an 8-3 win over the Lakers.
The teams wrap up their four-game weekend series with a doubleheader in Allendale Sunday starting at noon.
GVSU's Ryan Arnold pitched a terrific game on the hill for the Lakers in the opener. Hillsdale struggled to find its familiar rhythm with the bats throughout the game, and rarely made solid contact with the baseball. Senior Ethan Wiskur had two of the team's three hits in the shutout loss.
The Chargers came around in game 2, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning to counter a two-run opening frame by the Lakers. Sophomore Colin Boerst opened the third inning with a double, and later scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball.
Hillsdale got rolling in the fourth inning, scoring four times to take a commanding 7-2 lead. Wiskur had a bases-loaded single that scored Boerst and Colin Hites in that inning.
Junior Phil Carey turned in his finest pitching performance of the season for Hillsdale in game 2, going eight innings with five strikeouts and no walks allowed. He scattered eight hits, and was aided by some slick defense behind him. Boerst in particular, made a terrific stop of a hard-hit ball at third base that would have been a double.
At the plate, Boerst was 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored. Sophomore Steven Ring belted his 13th home run of the season, a solo shot over the right field fence. Wiskur was 2-for-5 with 2 RBI, and Michael Mitchell went 2-for-4, also driving in two runs.