Game 3 box score: Walsh 4, Hillsdale 1
Game 4 box score: Hillsdale 8, Walsh 2
After being held to one run in the seven-inning games of its four-game series at Walsh, the offense of the Hillsdale College baseball team picked up in the nine-inning game, winning the series finale Friday afternoon.
Hillsdale pulled away late for an 8-2 win over the Cavs in the fourth game of its series in North Canton, Ohio. The Chargers enter the final two weeks of the regular season with an overall record of 17-22 and 12-12 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
A four-run ninth inning, during which the Chargers had just three hits (all singles) clinched this win for the visitors. It was a fine example of manufacturing runs for a team that has relied upon the home run ball, to a near-record pace.
Colin Boerst and James Krick hit back-to-back home runs to get Hillsdale on the board in game four. Their shots give the Chargers 58 home runs on the season, just one away from Kentucky Wesleyan's single-season conference record of 59, set in 2018.
Boerst, Krick, Christian Rodino and Chris Ackerman all had two-hit games in the win for Hillsdale, with Krick dirving in two runs.
Junior Andrew Verbrugge turned in a terrific performance in the complete-game victory. He went all nine innings, striking out seven batters, recording his first win of the season.
Junior Jake Hoover had a double and a run scored, while Steven Ring went 2-for-3 in Friday's opener. Pitcher Joe Hamrick was effective in going all seven innings in the opener, picking up five strikeouts while allowing two earned runs.
PHOTO: Todd Lancaster