The Hillsdale College baseball team won its weekend series at home against Lake Erie with a dramatic sweep on Sunday that included a walk-off win in extra innings.

The Chargers rallied from a 6-4 deficit in the bottom of the seventh of the first game to force extra innings, then walked off in the bottom of the eighth for a dramatic 7-6 victory in the opener.

Lake Erie took a 6-4 lead with two runs in the top of the sixth after Hillsdale had tied the game on a Will Millard RBI single the inning prior. Down to their final three outs in the bottom of the seventh, Will Lehman led off with a single for the Chargers, then Lake Erie pitchers walked or hit three consecutive batters to load the bases with no outs and score a run to cut the deficit to 6-5. 

Aaron Jasiak tied the game 6-6 with a one-out RBI single to score Augie Hutchison, but Hillsdale couldn't find the hit it needed to walk off in the seventh, flying out for the final two outs.

That sent the game to the eighth inning. Lake Erie was unable to score in the top of the eighth, giving Hillsdale another chance to seal the victory, and this time the Chargers took advantage. Zak Kent moved Rocco Tenuta, the international tiebreak runner, from second over to third with a sacrifice bunt, and after Lake Erie intentionally walked Lehman, Hutchison drove a ball into right field on a sacrifice fly to score Tenuta for the walk-off victory.

Hillsdale fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning but stayed close, tying the game at three-apiece on a RBI single by Will Lehman in the bottom of the first and a two-run triple by Tyler Sowers in the bottom of the third. 

Lehman had another huge game for Hillsdale at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a double, a RBI and three runs scored, Sowers was 2 for 3 with a triple and three RBIs, and Jasiak added two hits as well. 

Andrew George earned the win in relief for Hillsdale, striking out two and giving up just one hit and no runs in two and a third innings of work. Jacob Pallo started the game for Hillsdale and went five and two-thirds innings with three strikeouts and two walks.

In the nightcap, the Chargers fell behind early but roared back with a vengeance at the plate, pounding out 11 hits in an 8-3 victory to take a third win in two days over the Storm.

Hillsdale took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run home run by Zak Kent, but fell behind briefly in the top of the third as Lake Erie scored three runs on their only two hits of the game. That lead for the Storm was short-lived, however, as Will Millard tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third that scored Kent, and Rocco Tenuta put the Chargers ahead for good in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run single. 

The Chargers stretched out their lead in the fifth, as Gaard Swenson hit a RBI double and Aaron Jasiak and Tyler Sowers each added a RBI single to give Hillsdale an 8-3 edge it wouldn't relinquish.

Brandon Scott (4-3) earned the win on the mound for the Chargers, striking out five and walking five in five innings of work with just two hits surrendered. Jasiak finished the game in relief for Hillsdale, pitching two scoreless, hitless ininngs to finish off the victory.

The Sunday sweep is huge for the Chargers, who entered the day a game back of Lake Erie but leapfrog the Storm in the G-MAC standings with two victories to improve to 17-15 overall and 10-6 in conference play. Hillsdale is now third both in the G-MAC North Division and overall, trailing only 16-0 Northwood and 14-2 Ashland in the standings. 

The Chargers dip out of conference play on Wednesday next for a tough midweek contest at home against nationally-ranked Grand Valley State next. First pitch for that game is at 4 p.m. Following that contest, Hillsdale heads to rival Findlay for a four-game set on the road this coming Saturday and Sunday.

Photo by Tiffany Treppa