In two thrilling one-run contests on day two of the G-MAC Tournament, the Hillsdale College baseball team got a hard-fought split and will survive to play for a spot in the championship game on the third day tomorrow at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.

After suffering a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to top-seeded Northwood in extra innings in the opening contest of the day, Hillsdale bounced back with an elimination game against Tiffin in the nightcap. The contest with the Dragons was a high-scoring shootout, full of twists and turns, but in the end the Chargers took a 16-15 victory to set up a rematch with the Timberwolves on Friday.

Hillsdale fell behind 4-0 early to Tiffin, but appeared to seize control of the contest with an 11-run explosion in the bottom of the third inning, pounding out five hits and taking advantage of four Dragons errors in the frame to build an 11-4 lead. Augie Hutchison hit a two run double in the inning for the Chargers, then came back up to bat in the same inning and added a RBI single for two hits and three RBIs in the frame, while Tyler Turner added a double and a single and a RBI, and Gaard Swenson chipped in a RBI single as well.

The Chargers' lead was short-lived, however, as Tiffin scored twice in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to 11-6, then had a breakout inning of their own with nine runs in the top of the sixth to turn a five-run deficit into a four-run lead, 15-11.

Hillsdale didn't panic despite the setback. The Chargers plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth on a Will Lehman RBI double and a two-run triple by Hutchison to cut the deficit to 15-14, then retook the lead, 16-15, in the bottom of the seventh. Billy Porotsky, Aaron Jasiak and Turner laid down three bunt singles in a row, and an overthrow by the pitcher on Turner's third single led Porotsky and Jasiak get home safely for what would end up being the winning runs.

After a rough game on the mound for both teams, the Chargers turned to Jasiak, who shut the door with three scoreless innings in the seventh, eighth and ninth to improve to 2-1 on the season. Jasiak struck out five of the 10 batters he faced and allowed just one baserunner on a double before retiring the next nine batters. The sophomore was Hillsdale's sixth pitcher in the contest and the only one to not give up a run.

Hillsdale finished with 14 hits in the victory, led by Turner, who was a perfect 5 for 5 at the plate, and Hutchison, who finished a home run short of the cycle and added five RBIs. Gaard Swenson and Jasiak each chipped in a pair of hits as well and Will Lehman added a double.

The victory over Tiffin came on the heels of a heartbreakingly close loss to top-seeded Northwood, 2-1, in a 12-inning thriller in the first game of the day. Both the Chargers and Timberwolves were scoreless through seven innings in a pitchers duel between Hillsdale's Brandon Scott and Northwood's Trevor Crawford, who dominated the game giving up just three combined hits in those first seven frames.

Hillsdale broke through in the top of the eighth to take a 1-0 lead, as Will Millard drew a leadoff walk, Gaard Swenson hit a sacrifice bunt to move him over, and Tyler Turner came up with a clutch RBI single to give the Chargers a late lead. Scott came within one out of getting Hillsdale to the ninth inning with the advantage on the scoreboard, but a wild pitch after a single and a pair of walks allowed Northwood to tie the game. Neither team was able to score in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings.

The Chargers struggled to generate threats in extras, with a bunt single by Billy Porotsky in the 10th the closest Hillsdale came to pulling ahead. Finally, in the bottom of the 12th, Northwood cashed in a leadoff single, loading the bases and walking off for the win on a base hit in a 2-1 final.

Patrick MacLean (1-4) took the hard-fought loss in relief for Hillsdale despite going three and a third solid innings, while Scott finished with eight strikeouts and five walks in seven and two-thirds innings of work. 

Hillsdale finished with just three hits at the plate in the contest, with a single by Jasiak adding to the previously mentioned hits from Turner and Porotsky.

The Chargers (26-27) keep their season alive by beating the Dragons, and Hillsdale is now just one of four teams remaining in the G-MAC Tournament. Next up is a rematch with Northwood at 2 p.m. tomorrow on the main field at Prasco Park in the Pool B Championship bracket. As the lone remaining unbeaten team in Pool B, Northwood needs to beat Hillsdale just once to reach the G-MAC Championship game on Saturday, while Hillsdale will have to win twice against the Timberwolves, first at 2 p.m. and then in the if necessary game immediately following, to reach the final. 

Photo Courtesy of the G-MAC