The Hillsdale College baseball team is showing a growing proficiency for big offensive innings.

And that proficiency is helping the Chargers win ballgames. 

On Sunday, for the third time in five contests, all victories, Hillsdale put up a nine-run inning, and the Chargers used that offensive outburst to turn the tables on Lock Haven in a 10-6 victory to complete a three-game set in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Hillsdale's big inning against the Bald Eagles came in the top of the fifth, and with the Chargers trailing 5-1 after Lock Haven scored two runs in the bottom of the first and three in the bottom of the fourth.

Freshman Tyler Sowers led off the inning with a single, the start of five straight batters to reach for Hillsdale. After a Rocco Tenuta walk, Zak Kent hit a RBI single to right field to score Sowers, and freshman Will Lehman tied the game up in the next at bat with a three-run home run to even the score at five apiece. 

The Chargers weren't done. Hillsdale loaded the bases after Lehman, scoring two on a Lock Haven error, and then Tenuta came up again for the second time in the inning and hit a three-run bomb of his own to give Hillsdale a 10-5 advantage it wouldn't relinquish.

While Hillsdale's offense did its part to give the Chargers a meaningful advantage, Hillsdale's relief pitching finished the job. Jacob Pallo, Patrick MacLean and Winston Delp combined to pitch the final four and two-thirds innings, giving up just five hits and one earned run to protect the lead. Pallo, who went three and two thirds innings, had one of the best outings of his career against Lock Haven to earn his first collegiate victory, striking out eight of the 17 batters he faced with just one walk, two hits and no runs conceded.

Aaron Jasiak got the start for the Chargers, striking out two and walking none in three and a third innings of work.

Lehman went 3 for 4 at the plate with a RBI double in the third inning and his three-run home run to lead the Chargers offensively, while Tyler Sowers and Billy Porotsky each added a single and a double as well, and Kent finished 2 for 4 at the plate.

Hillsdale is now 5-5 overall and on a tear. The Chargers have one more weekend of games before the start of conference play, and travel to Maryville University in St. Louis for two games against the nationally-ranked host Saints and two against Emporia State, starting next Friday, March 7.

Photo by Steve George