The Hillsdale College baseball team had a big day on Sunday, stunning the fifth-ranked team in the nation, the University of Indianapolis, in a high-scoring contest for a split and their first win of the season.

The Chargers' victory came in the nightcap in an 18-10 contest that saw Hillsdale jump out to a 10-0 lead midway through the fourth inning. Freshman Tyler Sowers gave the Chargers an early 1-0 advantage with a solo home run in the top of the third inning, and the floodgates opened in the top of the fourth, as Hillsdale plated nine runs on four hits and two UIndy errors.

After UIndy recorded the first out in the top of the fourth, nine straight batters reached for the Chargers, including a two run single for Will Lehman, a double by Will Millard, a RBI bases-loaded walk by Billy Porotsky and a RBI hit by pitch by Rocco Tenuta. 

While Hillsdale gained a massive early advantage, the job wasn't yet done against a powerhouse UIndy offense that made a big push through the final five and a half innings of the contest. Hillsdale played another five runs in the top of the sixth, on RBI singles by Lehman, Gaard Swenson, Porotsky and Zak Kent to take a 16-3 lead, and tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh on a RBI double by Kaden Nowak and a bases-loaded walk by Tenuta.

UIndy made things interesting late, with five runs in the bottom of the ninth, but Hillsdale's lead was too large to be overcome as the Chargers finished the job.

Will Millard finished with two doubles and Tyler Sowers had a double and his solo home run to lead the Chargers at the plate, Zak Kent and Carson Tucker each chipped in a single and a double, and Will Lehman finished with two hits as well.

Brandon Scott (1-1) got the win for the Chargers, going six innings with seven strikeouts and six walks. Drew Erdei pitched two innings of relief with three strikeouts and two walks, Colin Lange made an appearance as well and Brenden Smith pitched the final two-thirds of an inning with one strikeout and no hits surrendered.

Hillsdale almost took two on the day, but couldn't quite complete a comeback in a tight 7-6 loss in the first game on Sunday.

The Chargers again took an early lead, going up 1-0 by taking advantage of a UIndy error to score, but Hillsdale was trailing 4-1 entering the top of the fourth inning when the Charger bats broke through to tie the game. Gaard Swenson started the inning with  a single, Carson Tucker hit a RBI double to drive him in, and Tyler Sowers hit a RBI double to score Tucker. Rocco Tenuta finished the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly to even the score at four runs apiece.

UIndy wasn't down long, scoring twice in the bottom of the fourth and once in the bottom of the fifth to go back in front 7-4. 

Hillsdale made a hard charge at the lead in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with two outs on singles by Tenuta and Kent and a walk drawn by Jake Figman. That allowed the Chargers to take advantage of another Greyhounds error to score Tenuta and Kent, and cut the deficit to 7-6. 

The Chargers, however, couldn't keep the rally going and take the lead, as UIndy got out of the jam with a fly out. Hillsdale had one more chance in the top of the seventh but went down in order.

Rocco Tenuta led the Chargers by going 2 for 3 at the plate with a RBI on the sacrifice fly, and Swenson had a stolen base as well for Hillsdale.

Aaron Jasiak (0-1) took the loss for the Chargers, going three and two-thirds innings with seven strikeouts and two walks. Patrick MacLean pitched the final two and a third innings for Hillsdale with two strikeouts and a walk as well.

Hillsdale (1-5) finishes the weekend series with UIndy on Monday at noon, with a chance to split the four-game set with the nationally ranked Greyhounds with a victory.

Photo by Steve George