For the second straight day, a big inning late in the game helped the Hillsdale College baseball team rally past Indiana (PA) in Morgantown, West Virginia.

And once again, senior Zak Kent was right in the middle of it. 

Just over 24 hours after Kent scored the winning runs in a 5-4 victory over the Crimson Hawks on a seventh inning triple, the senior came up to the plate with his team trailing 3-2 in the top of the ninth and hit a single to right field that tied the contest, scoring freshman Tyler Sowers who had led off the inning with a double. 

Two batters after Kent, freshman Will Lehman put the Chargers ahead for good with a two-run double to left field, scoring the eventual game-winning runs in another thrilling finish for Hillsdale.

Hayden Hoffpauir pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth, striking out three of the four batters he faced, to finish off a 5-3 Chargers victory.

Hillsdale had to rally multiple times in a back-and-forth contest that was tight throughout. IUP jumped out in front on a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, but the Chargers tied up the game in the fifth, first getting a RBI single from sophomre Rocco Tenuta to score a run in the fourth and then evening things up in the top of the fifth on a solo home run from freshman Gaard Swenson.

The tie was short lived as the Crimson Hawks pulled back in front on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth, and IUP kept Hillsdale off the scoreboard until the Chargers broke through in the top of the ninth.

Lehman had another excellent day at the plate to lead the Chargers, going 3 for 5 with the game-winning hit, and Sowers and Swenson each added two hits as well. Kent was 1 for 3 but along with the game-tying hit drew two walks and stole two bases, including one that set up Tenuta's game-tying single in the fourth.

Freshman Gibson Cary (1-0) earned the win in relief for the Chargers, pitching three scoreless, hitless innings with three strikeouts and two walks. Starter Brandon Scott went five innings with five strikeouts, four walks and three earned runs conceded, but got the ball to his relievers with Hillsdale still in good position to win the game.

Hillsdale is now 4-5 overall and has won four straight after starting the season 0-5. The Chargers finish their West Virginia trip tomorrow with a game against Lock Haven at 11 a.m. looking to get back to .500.

Photo by Steve George