Game 3 box score: Hillsdale 21, Ohio Valley 6
Game 4 box score: Hillsdale 21, Ohio Valley 4
It was an offensive explosion of historic proportions for the Hillsdale College baseball team this weekend.
For the first time in school history, the team scored 20 or more runs in back to back games, polishing off a four-game sweep of Ohio Valley University with wins of 21-6 and 21-4 Saturday afternoon at Simpson Field.
The wins make Hillsdale 16-19 overall and 11-9 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Across the four-game sweep of the Fighting Scots, Hillsdale produced 67 runs, otherworldly production regardless of the level of baseball or quality of opponent.
The Chargers trailed 3-2 entering the bottom of the third inning of game one, one of the only times all weekend Hillsdale was behind. But an eight-run third inning took care of that deficit. Sophomore James Krick led off the frame with a solo home run. Steven Ring belted a three-run home run later in the inning, his 12th of the season.
Jacob DePillo also crushed a three-run home run, his fourth round-tripper of the season.
Junior Jake Hoover doubled twice and went 3-for-4 with four runs scored and two batted in. Ring was 2-for-4 with 4 RBI and three runs scored, while Colin Boerst went 2-for-4, scoring four times and driving in four. Christian Rodino had three runs batted in and Dante Toppi started off a massive day at the plate by going 3-for-5 with a run scored.
Freshman Cody Kanclerz picked up his first collegiate win on the mound, turning in 3.2 effective innings on the mound. He struck out three batters in his appearance.
Game two started off with Hillsdale scoring 14 runs in the first inning, sending 17 batters to the plate, Toppi hit two three-run home runs in that first inning alone. He would go on to go 2-for-4 with a career-high 8 RBI, one shy of Ring's single-game school record. He drove in his other two runs with a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk.
Hoover was 3-for-4 with three runs scored with a home run, a double and 3 RBI. Kanclerz had two hits off the bench, while Rodino was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI, and Boerst was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Sean Nemetz also came off the bench to drive in a pair of runs.
Freshman pitcher Marc Bergeron also got his first collegiate win with a strong effort out of the bullpen. He struck out six batters and allowed just one hit in five innings on the hill.