The Hillsdale College baseball team rallied to win a 10-9 thriller in the nightcap of a Sunday doubleheader, splitting with Findlay to salvage one win from a weekend series with the Oilers to open G-MAC play.
Trailing 9-8 to the Oilers in the bottom of the eighth, the Chargers loaded the bases, then tied the game on a sacrifice fly by Danny Passinault to even the game at nine runs apiece.
In the next at bat, senior Nate Waligora pinch hit for the Chargers and delivered a clutch moment, driving a base hit to right center to score the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run.
Clinging to a 10-9 lead in the top of the ninth, freshman Aaron Jasiak entered the game in relief for the Chargers and worked a scoreless final inning to earn a save in his first pitching appearance, striking out two of the four batters he faced and ending the game on a pop fly to second base with the go-ahead run for Findlay at first base.
Hillsdale fell behind early in the contest as Findlay sought to complete the sweep, but the Chargers tied the game at two apiece on a two-run double by Jeff Landis in the bottom of the third inning, then pulled ahead with five runs in the fifth and sixth innings, including a two-run double by senior Joe Hardenbergh and RBI singles by Jeff Landis and Zak Kent.
Findlay came back fiercely in the top of the seventh, plating five runs to overtake the Chargers and go up 8-7. Freshman Rocco Tenuta tied the game back up at eight for the Chargers in the bottom of the inning with a RBI single, but Findlay pulled ahead again with a RBI single in the top of the eighth to go ahead 9-8 and set up the final drama.
Hillsdale scored 10 runs on just eight hits, taking advantage of nine Findlay walks and three hit by pitch to do maximum damage. Junior Will Shannon and Landis each led the way at the plate with two hits and a double apiece.
On the mound, Daly Skees got the win in relief, striking out four across an inning and two thirds of work for the Chargers. Paul Brophy got the start for Hillsdale and pitched six solid innings, striking out two, walking two, and getting the game to Hillsdale's relivers with a four-run Chargers lead. Jacob Pallo and Hayden Hoffpauir also pitched in relief for the Chargers.
In the first game of the day, the Chargers fell just short in a well-played 2-1 contest to the Oilers that saw both pitchers put on an impressive performance. Senior Drew Olssen went six scoreless innings as the starter for the Chargers, scattering three hits, striking out four and walking three, but Hillsdale had equal trouble breaking through Findlay starter Carson Mellott, finishing with just four hits in the game.
The contest was scoreless going into the seventh inning, but Findlay broke through in the top of the seventh, scratching out two runs against Chargers reliever Andrew George. The Chargers answered back in the bottom of the seventh, with Hardenbergh hitting a clutch two-out triple down the left field line to score Jaekob Sallee from first and cut Findlay's lead to 2-1. Pinch hitter Zak Kent nearly walked off the game with a home run, but a well hit foul ball to center field failed to clear the fence by just a couple of feet and instead fell into an Oilers glove for the final out.
Along with Hardenbergh's triple, Sallee, Landis, and Jasiak each recorded a single as well for the Chargers in the close loss.
Hillsdale is now 5-12 overall, 1-3 in G-MAC play and will look to carry the momentum of the final game this weekend into another home conference series against Tiffin, with four games against the Dragons across three days starting with a single nine inning contest at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 22.
Photo by Steve George