If Monday's games were indeed the last in Simpson Field, they were two worthy ones to finish on.
In the Hillsdale College baseball team's final home doubleheader of 2023, the Chargers split a pair of hotly-contested one run games with visiting Walsh, with both games being decided late and one requiring extra innings.
In the opening contest of the day, Hillsdale rallied back from a 9-3 deficit entering the fourth inning in a thrilling 10-9 victory. The Chargers took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as senior Aidan Brewer took the Cavaliers' first pitch of the day 340 feet and over the fence in left center field for a solo home run, and senior Cody Kanclerz added a two-run shot to right center later in the inning.
But a nightmare third inning where Walsh plated eight runs put the Chargers at a huge disadvantage. Trailing by six runs, it was Brewer who sparked the comeback with a second home run, this one a two-run shot to right center, to give the Chargers life.
In the bottom of the fifth, Hillsdale managed to load the bases with two outs, and senior Nick Stepke delivered one of the biggest hits of his career, smashing a ball down the left-field line to clear the bases and cut Hillsdale's lead to 9-8. Danny Passinault tied the game in the next at bat with a RBI single, and Brewer came through with the go-ahead hit, scoring Passinault from first on a single to right center field to put the Chargers up 10-9.
With Hillsdale up by one, closer Zane Barnhart finished the game, retiring the side without allowing a baserunner in the top of the sixth, and striking out the side in the top of the seventh, recording the final out on a looking strike out with the bases loaded for his fourth save of the season.
Drew Olssen earned the win in relief for Hillsdale, pitching two and two-thirds innings with three strikeouts, one walk and two unearned runs conceded. Paul Brophy got the start for the Chargers, striking out two and walking three in two and a third innings.
Brewer finished 3 for 3 at the plate with three huge hits to lead the Chargers in the win, and Stepke and Joe Hardenbergh each added two hits, including a double as well.
Hillsdale also rallied to tie the game and force extra innings in the nightcap, but a ground ball that took a weird bounce off the lip of the infield and over the second baseman's head scored the winning run for Walsh in the top of the 10th inning in a 5-4 Chargers loss.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Brewer again provided a spark for the Chargers offense, hitting a home run to left field for his third home run of the doubleheader and cutting the Cavaliers' lead to one.
In the next inning, junior Jeff Landis crushed a no-doubt home run over the right field fence to tie the game at two apiece, but Walsh retook the lead in the top of the eighth with two runs to go ahead 4-2.
Back at the plate in the bottom of the eighth, Brewer delivered another clutch power hit, hitting his fourth home run of the day and a two-run shot to even things at four apiece once again.
With a chance to pull ahead for good in the bottom of the eighth and the ninth, however, Hillsdale couldn't take advantage of a baserunner in either inning, and after Walsh pulled ahead in the 10th, the Chargers couldn't get the hit to match, with well-hit balls by both Passinault and Brewer coming up just short of the fence.
Daly Skees pitched well as Hillsdale's starter, going seven innings with four strikeouts, no walks and just two earned runs surrendered. Chad Stevens took the loss in relief, pitching two and one-third innings, and Logan Simon also pitched in relief for Hillsdale.
Landis went 3 for 4 with that solo home run at the plate for the Chargers to lead them in the loss, and Brewer added the two home runs mentioned above in an epic power performance on the day.
Today's contests were likely the final games in the 63 year history of Simpson Field. The field is slated to be replaced this offseason with a new facility, the Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium and Delp Baseball Field, built on the same site, with construction slated to begin on March 15.
Hillsdale is now 19-21 overall, 14-10 in the G-MAC, sitting in fourth in the tough North Division and sixth overall in the conference standings. The Chargers play a make-up midweek contest tomorrow in Detroit against seventh-ranked Wayne State , the top team in the Midwest Region, looking to split with the Warriors after going 1-2 against them in February, before heading to Canton, Ohio this weekend for a critical four-game series against Malone.
Photo by Steve George