Subtract one half-inning from each of the Hillsdale College baseball team's two games at McKendree on Saturday, and the Chargers might be heading into Sunday's series finale with two victories.
Unfortunately for the Chargers, that isn't possible, and instead Hillsdale is looking to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Bearcats after 8-5 and 10-4 losses to open the weekend series in Lebanon, Ill.
In Game 1, Hillsdale rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the first inning to tie the game at 3 and keep it that way until the sixth inning, when the host Bearcats exploded for five runs to pull away for an 8-5 victory in a seven inning contest.
A hit batter, an error, and a wild pitch helped load the bases for McKendree in that inning, and the Bearcats cashed in those runners with a three-run double and a two-run home run to take a decisive edge in the contest.
Hillsdale got two runs back in the top of the seventh, including a sac fly RBI by Aiden Brewer, but the Chargers ran out of outs and innings to complete a comeback in a shortened game.
Second baseman Rob Zurawski was 3 for 4 at the plate and hit a double and a two run home run that tied the game in the top of the fifth inning for the Chargers, Steven Strachan III added a RBI single in the second inning, and Jake Rhodes, Dante Toppi and Cody Kanclerz each chipped in a double for Hillsdale in the loss.
Brewer and Rhodes each added a stolen base as well for the Chargers, while David Toth took the loss on the mound, striking out six, walking three, and conceding three hits and five earned runs in five innings.
James Crick pitched an inning of relief for Hillsdale, striking out one, walking one, and conceding two hits and three earned runs.
In the nightcap, Hillsdale had a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth, but McKendree scored seven runs in the bottom of the inning to pull away for a 10-4 victory.
McKendree took advantage of two Hillsdale errors in the bottom of the fourth and also finished with four hits in that half-inning to once again take a decisive lead in the game.
Cooper Peterson led Hillsdale at the plate in Game 2, going 2 for 2 with a double and driving in all three of Hillsdale's runs in the first four innings.
Joe Hardenbergh chipped in two doubles as well for Hillsdale, while Kanclerz and Strachan III each stole a base.
Sawyer Allen took the loss for Hillsdale, pitching three and a third innings with three strikeouts and one walk while surrendering seven hits and three earned runs.
Andrew Verbrugge pitched two-thirds of an inning of relief for the Chargers, and Josh Stella went four innings in relief for Hillsdale, striking out two, walking three and conceding three hits and no runs.
Hillsdale is now 2-6 on the season and finishes the three game series at McKendree on Sunday at noon.