On a cold, icy Saturday in St. Louis, Missouri, the Hillsdale College baseball team nearly held on for a series-opening win over host Maryville.
But the Chargers couldn't hold onto an early 3-0 lead, giving up the tying run in the eighth inning and falling 4-3 in extra innings to the Saints to open a three-game tilt.
Hillsdale got off to a good start early, taking a 1-0 lead on a solo home run by sophomore Danny Passinault in the top of the third inning.
The Chargers tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth, with Cooper Peterson scoring Jeff Landis on a RBI single, and Sean Nemetz driving in Steven Strachan III on a ground-out.
Maryville cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run home run, but Hillsdale fought off the tying run until the bottom of the eighth, when Maryville pulled even on a sacrifice fly.
The game went to extra innings, and in the bottom of the 10th Maryville was able to move Elias Stevens over to third base after a leadoff walk, and Steven scored the game-winning, walk off run on a wild pitch.
Landis went 4 for 5 at the plate with three doubles and had four of Hillsdale's seven hits to lead the Chargers at the plate, but Hillsdale stranded seven baserunners and failed to add to their lead after the fourth, leaving the door open for Maryville to rally.
Tommy MacLean got the start for Hillsdale and pitched five solid innings, striking out five and walking three and giving up just the two-run home run in the scorebook. James Krick took the loss in relief, pitching two and a third innings with three strikeouts and three walks. Brendan Pochmara and Zane Barnhart also pitched in relief for the Chargers.
Hillsdale (3-5) will look to bounce back tomorrow with a doubleheader against the Saints to close out the weekend series, starting at Noon CT (1 p.m. ET).
Photo by Summer Fields