The Hillsdale College baseball team had a much better day at the plate on Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee, but it wasn't enough to bring home a victory as host Trevecca Nazarene won a 12-11 heartbreaker in the first game of the day, then completed the series sweep with a 15-3 victory in the nightcap.
The Chargers had their best game of the series in the initial Saturday game, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first two innings and taking an 11-6 lead into the bottom of the seventh. But Hillsdale couldn't hold off a furious late charge by the host Trojans in the final inning, as Trevecca scored six runs to walk off with a 12-11 victory.
Will Shannon gave Hillsdale its first lead of the series with a three-run home run in the top of the first inning, and the Chargers tacked on two more runs on a sacrifice fly and a RBI double by Danny Passinault in the second. A solo home run by Will Millard in the fourth inning helped keep Hillsdale ahead, and the Chargers built a 10-6 edge on a pair of two-run doubles by Jaekob Sallee and Jeff Landis. A bases-loaded walk drawn by Sallee in the seventh gave Hillsdale a five-run lead with just three outs to get, but Trevecca's rally was enough to put them over the top.
Passinault was 3 for 3 with a double to lead Hillsdale at the plate, Millard added a double and a home run, and Rocco Tenuta and Tyler Turner each added two hits. Brandon Scott took the loss in relief for Hillsdale, and Chad Stevens and Andrew George each pitched in relief as well for the Chargers. Drew Olssen got the no decision in a decent start for Hillsdale, throwing five and a third innings with two strikeouts and two walks.
In the nightcap, Hillsdale got in an early 3-1 hole in the first inning and never fully recovered, as Trevecca added six more runs over the next three innings and brought an early end to the game with six runs in the sixth inning in a 15-3 Chargers defeat.
Landis had a RBI double to lead Hillsdale at the plate, and Passinault and Nate Waligora each chipped in a RBI single as well. Tenuta and Millard each added a double as well for the Chargers in the loss.
Starter Paul Brophy took the loss for the Chargers, striking out three and walking two in three and two-thirds innings of work. Logan McLaughlin and Hayden Hoffpauir each pitched in relief as well for Hillsdale.
The Chargers (9-16, 4-8 G-MAC) will look to shake off the difficult results this weekend and get back on track with another road series this coming weekend at Lake Erie. Hillsdale will play four games against the Storm, beginning with a single nine-inning contest on Friday at 1 p.m.
Photo by Steve George