Trailing 2-0 in the top of the ninth of the final game of a weekend series at Tiffin on Sunday, Hillsdale was staring down a sweep at the hands of the Dragons that would have seriously damaged their G-MAC Tournament hopes.

What happened in that ninth inning showed what the Chargers are made of -- and, if Hillsdale is playing at Prasco Park in two weeks, might be the moment that made it possible.

Against Tiffin's closer, the the Chargers strung together three straight leadoff hits, then, after two strikeouts, senior Zak Kent hit a bases-clearing triple that turned the 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 Hillsdale lead. Freshman Will Lehman added another clutch hit in the next at bat, a double to right field, for a crucial insurance run that gave Hillsdale 4-2 edge.

Tiffin got a run back in the bottom of the ninth and nearly walked off the Chargers, but Hillsdale reliever Patrick MacLean struck out the final Tiffin batter to secure a massive 4-3 victory.

The leadup to the ninth inning had been frustrating for the Chargers, as Hillsdale hung tough with Tiffin defensively but failed to get a run across, falling behind 2-0 by the eighth inning. 

Five of Hillsdale's seven hits came in the ninth, as Will Millard finished with two doubles to lead the Chargers at the plate and Kent added an earlier single to his game-winning triple.

Brandon Scott pitched well for Hillsdale as the starter, going seven innings with six strikeouts and two walks and just two runs conceded. MacLean (1-2) picked up the win in relief, pitching the final two innings.

The nightcap win came immediately follow a game where a Hillsdale rally fell short, as the Chargers scored four unanswered runs but couldn't overcome a six-run deficit after a tough first inning in a 6-4 loss.

Tiffin strung five of their six hits in the game together in the first inning to plate six runs, and despite being held in check from then on, Hillsdale couldn't get enough offense to overtake the Dragons on the scoreboard.

Hillsdale got a run back in the top of the second, with an Aaron Jasiak double advancing Gaard Swenson to third base and Billy Porotsky scoring him on a sacrifice fly. Augie Hutchison added a RBI single in the top of the third to make it 6-2 Tiffin, and Swenson cut the deficit to 6-4 with a two-run single in the top of the fifth.

That was as close as the Chargers would get, however, as Hillsdale got just one runner on base in the final two innings.

Hillsdale finished with 11 hits in the loss, led by Hutchison going 3 for 4 at the plate, with Lehman, Swenson and Jasiak each adding two hits as well.

Jacob Pallo (3-5) took the loss for Hillsdale, with Andrew George pitching well in four scoreless, hitless innings of relief with five strikeouts and four walks, and Hayden Hoffpauir also holding the Dragons scoreless in an inning-long appearance as well.

The final victory salvages a tough weekend for the Chargers, who are now 22-24 overall and 15-13 in G-MAC play with one weekend series remaining in the regular season against G-MAC leader Ashland, who took three of four from Northwood in a first-place showdown this past weekend. The win means Hillsdale still has a path to qualify for the postseason even if the Chargers get swept by the Eagles, and can lock up a berth with a split.