The Hillsdale College baseball team finds itself in a competitive road series in G-MAC play for the second straight week after splitting a doubleheader at Ohio Dominican on Saturday afternoon.

The Chargers came from behind with clutch hitting and steady pitching in pressure situations late to take the opening game from the Panthers, 7-5.

Hillsdale trailed 5-4 in the top of the sixth and had gone three straight innings without scoring a run, but the Chargers were able to load the bases with one out thanks to a single by Aaron Jasiak, followed by back-to-back walks. Senior Zak Kent came through with the big hit, driving a two-run single to left field to put Hillsdale in front, and Will Lehman tacked on an insurance run with a RBI single in the next at-bat to give Hillsdale a 7-5 lead.

That edge would hold despite some high-leverage situations for ODU down the stretch. The Panthers had a runner at third in both the bottom of the sixth and the bottom of the eighth, including a bases-loaded situation with two outs in the eighth. Closer Logan McLaughlin came in an induced a flyout to get out of the jam, then pitched a spotless ninth inning with two strikeouts to secure his second save of the season and seal Hillsdale's victory.

Daniel Higdon (1-2) pitched five and two-thirds solid innings with four strikeouts and three walks to earn his victory of the season as a Hillsdale starter after several competitive no decisions, and Patrick MacLean also pitched well in relief, with two scoreless innings.

Hillsdale had led 3-0 early after a bases-loaded walk by Will Millard and a two-run double by Augie Hutchison in the top of the first, and held a 4-2 advantage after two innings after a RBI single by Zak Kent before the Panthers scored three in the bottom of the third to pull ahead.

Kent had a monster game for the Chargers, going 4 for 5 with three RBIs, Jasiak added two hits and Rocco Tenuta chipped in a triple for Hillsdale, which took advantage of 10 ODU walks in the victory.

The nightcap didn't go as well for the Chargers, as a six-run second inning by ODU allowed the Panthers to build a 10-2 lead after three innings. Hillsdale attempted a comeback, scoring twice in the top of the fourth to cut into the deficit, but couldn't overcome that early Panthers lead in a 10-4 defeat.

Kent stayed hot at the plate for the Chargers in the nightcap, hitting a solo home run to right field in the top of the first to give Hillsdale a brief 1-0 lead, and going the other direction with a two-run double to left field in the top of the fourth to give Hillsdale life. Tyler Sowers scored Hillsdale's other run on a sacrifice fly in the second inning that got Gaard Swenson home.

Hillsdale gave up just eight hits but issued 10 free bases to ODU in walks and hit batters, concentrated in the first two innings where the damage done was amplified. Gibson Cary (1-1) took the loss for the Chargers, starting and pitching an inning and a third, and Winston Delp pitched two-thirds of an inning of relief as well for ODU. Senior Drew Erdei pitched well down the stretch for the Chargers, giving up just two hits and one earned run in four innings of work.

Kent led the Chargers again in the nightcap with a double, a home run and three RBIs, and Will Millard and Billy Porotsky each chipped in two hits as well. 

Hillsdale is now 9-12 overall, 3-3 in the G-MAC, and will look to sweep tomorrow's doubleheader against ODU and take the series. Those games will start at 10 a.m. in Columbus as the two teams agreed to move the start time up to try and dodge late-afternoon rain.

Photo by Steve George