At times in years past, finding a way to win close contests has been a struggle for the Hillsdale College baseball team.
Four games into the season, however, the 2023 edition of the Chargers is showcasing a knack for it.
For the third contest in a row, Hillsdale beat a heavily favored team in a game decided by two runs or less on Friday, this time riding a dominant start by ace Will Gifford and two home runs to a 5-4 victory over defending GLIAC champion Davenport to open a three game series in Millington, Tennessee.
Bouncing back from a rough first outing of the season last week, Gifford showcased his talent in Friday's contest, controlling a dangerous Davenport lineup across six innings. The senior struck out six, walked three and gave up just three hits and one run to help Hillsdale stake a four-run lead entering the bottom of the seventh.
Gifford was backed by a solid day at the plate for the Chargers, who jumped on the Panthers early with three runs in the top of the first. Batting second, catcher Jaekob Sallee drew a walk, stole second and then reached third base on a single by Aidan Brewer. That put Sallee in position to take advantage of a wild pitch by Davenport starter Carson Fischer to reach home plate and score the game's first run.
Two batters later, right fielder Lewis Beals added to Hillsdale's lead in emphatic fashion, smashing a two-run home run, his second of the season, to give the Chargers a 3-0 lead before Davenport had even had a chance to bat. The Chargers tacked on another run in the top of the second as second baseman Nick Stepke singled to get on base, advanced to scoring position on a single by centerfielder Danny Passinault, and then scored on a groundout by third baseman Cody Kanclerz to increase Hillsdale's lead.
After Davenport got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, Passinault hit Hillsdale's second home run of the game in the top of the seventh to stretch Hillsdale's lead back to 5-1, with nine outs between the Chargers and victory.
The Panthers refused to go quietly, clawing back a run in the bottom of the seventh and taking advantage of a Hillsdale error to score two runs in the bottom of the eighth, cutting Hillsdale's deficit to a precarious 5-4 margin.
But closer Zane Barnhart shut the door on the Panthers in his first save of the season, recording the final out of the eighth inning and then recording three strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the victory for the Chargers.
On top of each hitting a home run, Beals and Passinault each led the Chargers offensively with two hits on the day as well, while Logan Simon and Chad Stevens also appeared in relief for Hillsdale as the bridge between Gifford and Barnhart.
With the win, Hillsdale improves to 3-1 on the season and picks up another quality win against a top-flight opponent nationally. The Chargers head into Saturday's nine-inning contest with Davenport in Millington with a chance to take a second consecutive series with a victory, and continue a strong start to the season. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.