With seeding on the line in the upcoming G-MAC Tournament, the Hillsdale College baseball team started off its weekend series against one of the top teams in the conference, Ashland, with a hard-earned split on Friday.
After letting a close game get away from them late in a 7-1 loss in Game 1, the Chargers didn't make the same mistake twice in the nightcap, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead and keeping Ashland's bats quiet in a 5-1 win in the nightcap.
Hillsdale never led in the first game but got on the board quickly in Game 2, as leadoff hitter Aidan Brewer scored from second on an error after a double to open the game to give Hillsdale a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
The Chargers tacked on another run in the top of the second on a groundout by Jaekob Sallee that drove Jeff Landis in from third base after Landis led off the inning with a triple, then Hillsdale blew the game open in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of another Ashland error to plate one run and getting a RBI double from Sallee and a RBI single from Danny Passinault.
Ashland got one run back in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly but managed just five hits in the contest thanks to a strong pitching performance by starter Tommy MacLean, who went six innings and conceded just one earned run while striking out four and walking two to pick up his third win of the season. Zane Barnhart finished the game in the seventh for the Chargers, giving up no hits or runs and striking out two of the three batters he faced.
Landis led Hillsdale at the plate with a double and a triple in the victory, and Will Shannon and Cody Kanclerz each chipped in a double as six of Hillsdale's seven hits in the game were extra base hits.
In the first game, Hillsdale trailed just 1-0 entering the eighth inning but gave up six runs in the bottom of the eighth to let Ashland pull away.
Starter Will Gifford was the hard-luck loser despite pitching six strong innings, striking out six, walking one and giving up just one earned run in the bottom of the fourth inning before giving way to Hillsdale's relievers.
While Hillsdale hung in the game, the Chargers were unable to generate enough offense to take advantage against one of the top pitchers in the G-MAC, Ashland's Brendan Beaver. Hillsdale did get one run back on a solo home run by Jeff Landis in the top of the ninth, but it was too little, too late after Ashland's six-run outburst the half-inning before.
Along with Landis' home run, Lewis Beals was 2 for 4 at the plate to pace Hillsdale's offense.
The Chargers are now 23-24 overall and 18-12 in G-MAC play. Thanks to today's split and results around the conference, Hillsdale's range of possible finishes has narrowed with one doubleheader remaining in the regular season. After getting swept by Kentucky Wesleyan, Ohio Dominican can no longer catch Hillsdale and force them to drop to seventh, and by picking up a victory today, Ashland can no longer drop into a tie with the Chargers either.
That means Hillsdale will end up with either the fourth, fifth or sixth seed. Two victories over Ashland on Saturday would clinch the fourth seed for the Chargers, while a split would guarantee no worse than the fifth seed, with a matchup against either Walsh or Findlay in the first round of next weekend's G-MAC Tournament. Two losses to the Eagles would likely drop Hillsdale into the sixth seed and a first-round rematch with Ashland at Prasco Park next Wednesday.
Photo by Steve George