Crooked numbers on the scoreboard played a big role on Saturday for both teams as Hillsdale split a doubleheader with Thomas More at home.
A five-run inning in the bottom of the sixth helped the Chargers turn a tense first game into a comfortable 9-3 victory, while the Saints returned the favor in the nightcap, exploding for seven runs in the top of the seventh on the way to an 8-7 victory over Hillsdale.
The Chargers led wire-to-wire in the first game thanks to a two-run home run by
Will Lehman in the bottom of the first inning. Hillsdale looked to be cruising, tacking on a RBI single by
Augie Hutchison in the bottom of the fourth and a RBI double by
Aaron Jasiak in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-0 lead.
The easy ride hit turbulence in the top of the sixth inning, as Thomas More exploded for three runs on four hits to cut Hillsdale's lead to 4-3. Unphased, the Chargers answered right back in the bottom of the sixth to more or less put the game away.
With the bases loaded after a single, a walk and a hit by pitch, freshman
Gaard Swenson delivered a haymaker with a two-run single to centerfield, and fellow freshman
Billy Porotsky landed the knockout blow in the next at-bat with a three-run home run to give Hillsdale a 9-3 lead and leave Thomas More with just three outs to respond.
Starter
Jacob Pallo put the finishing touches on a complete game victory in the seventh, striking out two of the four batters he faced for his second win of the season. Pallo struck out four and walked one in seven innings for the Chargers.
Porotsky was 2 for 3 at the plate with the three-run home run and a triple,
Will Lehman also went 2 for 3 with a two-run home run, and
Zak Kent chipped in a double for the Chargers as well offensively.
In the nightcap, Hillsdale battled back late with four runs in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't overcome a seven-run inning by the Saints in an 8-7 loss to split the series.
Trailing 8-3 in the ninth, Hillsdale got a a run back on a sacrifice fly by
Tyler Sowers, and with two outs,
Rocco Tenuta smashed a three-run home run over the left field fence to electrify the crowd and cut Hillsdale's deficit to just one run.
Zak Kent hit a single in the next at-bat to get the tying run on base, but Hillsdale couldn't bring him home and came up just short.
Kent had a strong game for the Chargers, blasting a no-doubt two-run homer over the right field fence to briefly give Hillsdale a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth, and helped start the comeback in the bottom of the eighth with a RBI single. The senior finished 3 for 5 with three RBIs on the day, and Sowers went 3 for 3 as well.
Will Lehman and
Aaron Jasiak each chipped in two hits.
Brandon Scott (3-3) took the loss for the Chargers, pitching six solid innings with three strikeouts and one walk before Thomas More exploded in the seventh.
Logan McLaughlin pitched in relief as well for Hillsdale, and
Andrew George went two and a third innings to finish the game for the Chargers.
Hillsdale is now 13-14 overall, 7-5 in G-MAC play, and dips out of conference play on Tuesday for a rematch with Saginaw Valley State. The Cardinals beat Hillsdale in a tight 3-2 contest on March 12, and the Chargers now travel to University Center, Michigan with payback on their minds in a midweek contest.
Photo by Emma Purdy
