Two big innings -- one in the top of the ninth, and the other in extra innings -- helped the Hillsdale College baseball team pick up two critical wins to open a weekend series against Malone on Saturday at Thurman Munson Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

The biggest drama came in the nightcap, when Malone tied the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. The Pioneers and Chargers went through three scoreless frames before Cody Kanclerz put Hillsdale up for good in the top of the 11 with a single to center field that scored Jaekob Sallee. A Nick Stepke single later in the frame added two additional insurance runs to seal a hard-fought 10-7 victory for the Chargers.

Hillsdale fell behind 6-2 early in the second game, but Cooper Peterson turned things around quickly with a three-run home run in the top of the fourth, and Hillsdale took the lead when multiple Malone throwing errors allowed Kanclerz and Sallee to score and put the Chargers up 7-6.

Joe Hardenbergh added a RBI triple as part of a 3 for 4 game at the plate as well for the Chargers, and Rob Zurawski went 4 for 6 with three doubles as well for Hillsdale.

Sawyer Allen got the start and pitched six and two thirds solid innings for the Chargers, striking out five and walking two. Marc Bergeron got the win in relief for Hillsdale, going three and a third innings with four strikeouts, and no walks and conceding no earned runs. Freshman Zane Barnhart got his first career save, pitching the final inning and striking out the side to seal the victory.

The first game also had an exciting finish. Falling behind 3-0 in the first inning, the Chargers used a two-run home run by Jeff Landis, his G-MAC best ninth of the season, as well as an RBI single by Hardenbergh, to battle back to a 4-4 tie entering the ninth and final inning.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Zurawski, Landis and Aidan Brewer showed remarkable patience in a pressure situation, drawing three bases-loaded walks in a row to score the decisive three runs in a 7-4 Charger victory.

Stepke went 3 for 4 at the plate with a double to lead the Chargers, Peterson chipped in a double as well, Zurawski and Hardenbergh each went 2 for 4.

On the mound, starter David Toth recovered from a shaky start and overpowered the Malone batters over the next six innings, striking out 12 and walking two in an impressive seven-inning no decision. Logan Simon earned the win in relief for the Chargers, pitching two hitless, scoreless innings and striking out three and walking two.

With the victories, the Chargers improve to 11-7 overall and 7-3 in the G-MAC, and move into sole possession of fourth place in the conference standings. Hillsdale looks to pick up two more victories as it wraps up the weekend series with Malone on Sunday, beginning at noon at Thurman Munson Stadium.

Photo by Gwen Buchhop