In a battle of two of the top four teams in the conference standings, the Hillsdale College baseball team hung with visiting Walsh early on but couldn't keep pace late in both contests of a Friday afternoon doubleheader.
The Chargers fell 14-6 and 7-2 to the Cavaliers, unable to overcome late-inning bursts by Walsh to pull away in both games.
Hillsdale held Walsh scoreless in the first four innings of the first game, and trailed just 2-0 after five innings following a 2-run Cavalier home run by Joey Holiga in the top of the fifth.
But a grand slam by Davis Burick in the sixth inning opened the floodgates for the Cavaliers, who scored nine runs in the sixth and seventh innings to pull away.
Rob Zurawski hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning and Nick Stepke added a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to get the Chargers on board, and Hillsdale put together a last-gasp run in the bottom of the ninth, with a solo home run by Jeff Landis and a RBI single by Stepke to cut the deficit to 14-6. That was as close as the Chargers would get, however.
Stepke went 3 for 5 at the plate to lead the Chargers, Zurawski and Danny Passinault each chipped in two hits, Aidan Brewer added a triple and Joe Hardenbergh hit a double as well.
David Toth (1-2) took the loss for the Chargers, striking out three, walking three and giving up four hits and four earned runs in five and one third innings of work. Nate Waligora, Daly Skees and Evan Fauquher all pitched in relief for Hillsdale, with Skees and Fauquher each making their pitching debut for the Chargers.
In the seven-inning nightcap, Hillsdale jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a RBI single by Nate Waligora, and a fielder's choice by Jaekob Sallee that scored Danny Passinault.
But despite the fast start, the Chargers couldn't build on that early advantage and Walsh pulled ahead for good in the top of the fourth on a two-run single by Jarrett Lyon.
Six different Hillsdale players each had a single base hit in the second game, as the Chargers struggled to string hits together outside of those two runs in the bottom of the second.
Sawyer Allen (2-3) took the loss for Hillsdale, pitching six innings with four strikeouts, two walks and three earned runs, and Dillon Manion pitched an inning of relief as well for the Chargers.
Hillsdlae (12-10, 8-6 G-MAC) will look to bounce back on Saturday with two more games against the Cavaliers, beginning with a seven-inning contest at noon.
