Runs were at a premium on Saturday as the host Hillsdale College baseball team and visiting Malone rode strong pitching performances to a split of two tight contests to open a four-game series between the two squads.
The Chargers took the first game 3-1 behind a gem of a pitching performance from senior Tommy MacLean, who threw Hillsdale's first nine-inning complete game victory since Andrew Verbrugge in 2019. Needing just 104 pitches to finish the game, MacLean gave up just one earned run and five total hits in nine innings while striking out four and walking three in a career-best performance.
With MacLean dealing on the mound, senior Danny Passinault provided the winning offense at the plate, hitting a pair of RBI singles in the fifth and seventh innings to give Hillsdale the 2-1 lead it wouldn't relinquish. Fellow senior Jeff Landis added an important insurance run with a RBI double in the bottom of the eighth as Hillsdale solved a Malone pitcher who was perfect through four innings and scratched just enough runs across to get the victory.
Landis and Passinault were each 2 for 4 at the plate to lead the Chargers offensively, while Will Shannon and Joe Hardenbergh each chipped in a double. Tyler Turner and Aaron Jasiak also combined to turn an important double play with runners at first and second in the top of the fifth to help keep the game scoreless, a microcosm of a game defensively where the Chargers were error-free.
In the nightcap, Hillsdale jumped out to an early lead by taking advantage of a bout of early wildness by Malone's starter, plating two runs on a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a bases-loaded walk. Over the course of the game, however, Hillsdale struggled to add to that advantage, failing to generate more runs in the first inning, and stranding runners in scoring position in both the third and fourth innings. Malone, meanwhile, chipped away at the lead, tying the game in the top of the sixth and pulling ahead 3-2 in the top of the seventh.
Backs to the wall, Jeff Landis came through for Hillsdale with a clutch double to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh and force extra innings, but a fly ball single to shallow right field that dropped in the top of the eighth allowed Malone to take the lead for good, 5-3. Hillsdale plated one run in the bottom of the eighth as Passinault's groundout got the international tiebreak runner home, but the Chargers were unable to tie in a 5-4 defeat.
Chad Stevens took the loss in relief for Hillsdale, striking out one and walking one in two innings of work. Drew Olssen pitched six solid innings in the game as the starter, striking out three, walking none and giving up just two earned runs.
At the plate, Rocco Tenuta was 2 for 4 with a double for the Chargers, who scored four runs on seven hits.
Hillsdale is now 13-20 overall, 8-10 in G-MAC play and have critical games on Sunday against the Pioneers to wrap up the weekend series, beginning at noon. In a tight G-MAC race, Hillsdale can't afford to drop too many more contests with a tough closing stretch ahead and several teams with strong records so far in the mix.
Photo by Steve George