The Hillsdale College baseball team's bats stayed hot on Monday, as Hillsdale used 26 runs in two games to finish off a series sweep of Tiffin and go above .500 in the G-MAC for the first time this season.
The Chargers hung a couple of crooked numbers on the scoreboard in each game to help power their way to victory. In the first contest of the day, a 16-12 Hillsdale victory, the Chargers seized control with a huge second inning that saw Hillsdale blast four home runs and put up eight runs on the scoreboard. Left fielder Joe Hardenbergh book-ended the inning with two solo home runs, one to lead off the inning and one to score the final run of the frame, while catcher Jaekob Sallee added a solo home run and first baseman Will Shannon hit a grand slam as well.
Leadoff hitter Cody Kanclerz hit a double to left center to score a run as well for the Chargers, who finished with six hits in the second.
Not content with the six-run lead, Hillsdale pulled away in the next two innings. The Chargers plated two runs in the bottom of the third, on a sacrifice fly by Danny Passinault and a RBI single by Trey Haeger, and added five more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, including two on a double by Aidan Brewer and a third on a double by Nate Waligora.
Tiffin made a furious late push to get back in the game, scoring 10 of the final 11 runs, including six in the top of the seventh inning. But reliever Brandon Scott was able to induce a sacrifice fly, then, after a base hit, struck out the final batter to secure a wild victory.
Paul Brophy earned his second win of the season for Hillsdale, striking out two and walking four in four and a third innings of work, and Brendan Pochmara and Drew Erdei also pitched in relief for the Chargers. Kanclerz went 3 for 3 at the plate with a double and two RBIs to lead the Chargers, and Augie Hutchison added a double as well.
In the second game, Hillsdale again took the lead in the bottom of the second inning, and scored six runs in the fourth to pull away and complete the sweep with a 10-3 victory.
After leading off the inning with a hit by pitch in the bottom of the second, Hardenbergh reached third on a single by Brewer, then got home on a sacrifice fly by Waligora to tie the game at one-apiece. Brewer then scored from second on a throwing error by the Dragons while attempting to pick him off to give the Chargers a 2-1 lead.
Hillsdale added to its lead with two runs in the bottom of the third, including a RBI single by Shannon, then blew the game open on in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to a three-run home run by catcher Sean Nemetz. Brewer added a two-run single as well to give Hillsdale a 10-1 lead, and that would prove to be all the offense the Chargers needed, despite two runs by Tiffin late.
Daly Skees made his first career start for the Chargers and picked up the victory, pitching five innings with two strikeouts and three walks and giving up just three hits and one earned run. Logan Simon, Chad Stevens and Caleb Biedenharn all pitched in relief for Hillsdale, with Zane Barnhart closing out the game in the ninth. Shannon went 2 for 4 with a triple to lead the Chargers at the plate, and Brewer added two hits as well for Hillsdale, which took advantage of three Tiffin errors to score 10 runs on just seven hits.
With the victories, Hillsdale is now 12-14 overall and 7-5 in the G-MAC, just two games back of third-place Ashland in the G-MAC North Division. The Chargers will have a big chance to make a move in the standings this Friday and Saturday, as Hillsdale travels to G-MAC leader Northwood, currently 12-0 in conference play, for four games between the G-MAC's only two Michigan schools.
Photo by Steve George