SUNDAY RECAP

Game 3 box score

Sunday was a rough day for the Charger baseball team.

Ashland University defeated Hillsdale College 17-2 in the third game of the teams' weekend series at Simpson Field. The Chargers are 9-20 overall and 7-8 in the GLIAC. Hillsdale has a non-league date with Lourdes Tuesday night in Toledo before resuming conference play at Northwood Wednesday.

The only bright spot in Sunday's loss came in the form of a two-run home run off the bat of sophomore Chris McDonald, which gave Hillsdale a 2-1 lead in the third inning. It was McDonald's second career home run.

But the Eagles dominated the game, starting with a three-run fourth inning that gave the team the lead for good. Hillsdale committed a number of errors in the field, many coming off well-placed bunts by the Eagles. 

The Chargers drew nine walks in the game, eight coming in the final three innings. but they were unable to cash in on any of those opportunities, leaving the bases loaded in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

Connor Bartlett had a hit and scored a run for Hillsdale in the loss.\

SATURDAY RECAP

Game 1 box score

Game 2 box score

For the first time all season, the Hillsdale College baseball team was able to play on its home field Saturday afternoon. And despite not even playing on its own field in nearly six months, the Chargers looked right at home.

Hillsdale toppled Ashland University 9-2 in the first game of Saturday's GLIAC doubleheader. Game two went to the Eagles 4-3 in a 10-inning contest that needed to be completed Sunday afternoon due to darkness Saturday.

In game one, Matthew Reck picked up his third win of the season and got plenty of help from his offense, which generated 12 hits and took advantage of several opportunities to put together the victory.

Reck logged 5 1/3 innings and yielded two runs with three strikeouts. He shut Ashland out through the game's first three innings, and by then, his offense had already staked him to a 4-0 lead.

Sobieszczanski had a big day in Hillsdale's win, going 2-for-3 with 3 RBI and a run scored. Sophomore Lincoln Reed had two singles, a run batted in and a run scored, while sophomore leadoff hitter Luke Ortel continues to be a very tough out, as he went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored.

Sophomore Michael O'Sullivan came off the bench and sliced a two-run single to add to Hillsdale's lead as part of a four-run sixth inning which left no doubt in the final result.

In game two, Hillsdale put runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but were unable to push across the game-winning run. Ashland scored one run in the top of the 10th and hung on for the win.

Ashland took an early 3-0 lead in game two, only to see the Chargers mount a comeback late in the suspended game. Hillsdale scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, when Nolan Breymaier had a sacrifice fly, followed by a run-scoring single by Tad Sobieszczanski.

The third run came on a perfectly executed safety squeeze play by catcher Joe Gentile. He laid down a bunt towards first base, which allowed pinch runner Vinny Delicata to score the game-tying run from third base. 

Sobieszczanski had a career-high four hits for the Chargers in game two, while Breymaier went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Photo by Jenny Bals