The Hillsdale College baseball team's bats stayed hot with 17 runs and 25 hits in a Saturday G-MAC doubleheader at Ohio Valley, but a rough inning in the nightcap forced the Chargers to settle for a split.
Hillsdale out-hit Ohio Valley 16 to 5 to overcome a 3-0 first-inning deficit and roll to a 13-8 win in the first game of the day.
The Chargers broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the seventh inning, as Nick Stepke scored on a fielder's choice by James Krick and Cody Kanclerz also crossed home pate on a throwing error. Danny Passinault scored Joe Hardenbergh on a sacrifice fly later in the inning to stretch the lead to 7-4.
After the Scots plated four runs in the bottom of the seventh to take an 8-7 lead, Steve Strachan III retied the game with a RBI single in the top of the eighth inning, and Rob Zurawski put the Chargers ahead for good in the top of the ninth with a two-run home run. Strachan also added a two-run double in the top of the ninth as the Chargers plated five runs to seal the victory.
Along with Zurawski's blast, Jeff Landis hit his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot in the top of the third, and also chipped in a double.
Strachan was 4 for 6 to lead Hillsdale at the plate, Stepke was 3 for 5, and Jaekob Sallee and Aidan Brewer each chipped in two hits as well.
Will Gifford earned the win in relief to improve to 2-0 on the season, striking out three, walking one and giving up no hits or earned runs in two and a third innings.
David Toth got the start, striking out 10, walking five and conceding four hits in six and a third inning, and Nate Waligora appeared in relief for the Chargers as well, striking out one and walking three in a third of an inning.
In the second game, the Chargers outscored the Scots 3-2 in the final six innings but couldn't claw their way back into the game after Ohio Valley scored eight runs on six hits in the first inning in a 10-4 Scots win.
Kanclerz went 2 for 4 with a solo home run to lead the Chargers in the loss, and Nick Stepke chipped in a solo home run as well.
Zurawski went 2 for 3 with a double and a RBI single as well for the Chargers, Landis, Brewer and Sallee each chipped in a double, and Danny Passinault added a RBI single as well.
Sawyer Allen (2-2) took the loss for the Chargers, showing reslience in rebounding from a nightmare first inning made worse by Hillsdale errors to pitch effectively in the next four innings, and finishing with four strikeouts and three walks in five innings of work. Marc Bergeron struck out the side in an inning of relief to finish the game for the Chargers.
With the split, Hillsdale is now 7-7 overall and 3-3 in the G-MAC. The Chargers will look to finish the weekend series against the Scots in winning fashion in a Sunday doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. tomorrow.
Photo by Gwen Buchhop