The Hillsdale College baseball team had to settle for a split with visiting Malone on Saturday, as the Chargers held on for a 6-4 victory in the opener but lost an 8-6 heartbreaker in 15 marathon innings in the nightcap.
Hillsdale led for most of the first game, rallying after falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning with three runs in the second to pull ahead.
Billy Porotsky hit a two-run double to give the Chargers the lead after back-to-back singles by
Tyler Turner and
Jake Figman to lead off the inning, and later scored on a sacrifice fly by
Rocco Tenuta to pul the Chargers up 3-1.
After Malone got a run back in the top of the fourth inning,
Aaron Jasiak restored a two-run lead for the Chargers with a RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-2, Hillsdale. The Pioneers refused to go quietly, however, tying up the game at four-all in the top of the sixth. With the game in the balance in the bottom of the inning,
Gaard Swenson hit a two-out double for the Chargers to score
Aaron Jasiak and Turner and give Hillsdale a 6-4 lead entering the seventh.
Malone made a push in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with one out, but
Patrick MacLean battled back with a looking strikeout and a fly-out to right field to secure the victory for the Chargers and earn the save.
Swenson was 3 for 4 to lead the Chargers at the plate, along with the game-winning double, while
Jake Figman added a single and a double and Turner and
Nolan Coppens each added two hits as well.
Freshman
Jeff Klominek (2-1) earned the win for the Chargers, going four and two-thirds innings with three strikeouts and four walks. Hayden Hoffpaiur pitched an inning and a third of relief as well for Hillsdale, and MacLean finished the job in the seventh to earn his second save of 2026.
The nightcap was a lengthy and exciting affair. Neither team scored in the scheduled nine innings, taking a 0-0 tie into extras. Four times in extra innings, the Pioneers pulled ahead in the top of the inning and Hillsdale battled back to tie the game in the bottom half and keep the game going, with Hillsdale rallying from one run deficits in the 10th, 12th and 13th innings, and overcoming a three-run deficit in the 11th. Ultimately, a fifth comeback was one too many for the Chargers, as Malone scored two in the top of the 15th and Hillsdale was unable to answer in the bottom of the frame in a tough 8-6 loss.
Gaard Swenson was 3 for 6 at the plate for the Chargers on the day and drove in the tying run in the 10th, and
Tyler Turner also finished 3 for 6 for Hillsdale and had a RBI single as part of that three run 11th for the Chargers, along with a single by
Aaron Jasiak.
Jake Figman added a RBI single and
Tyler Sowers a RBI double in extra innings for the Chargers.
Logan McLaughlin was electric on the mound to start the nightcap for the Chargers, pitching six shutout innings with eight strikeouts and four walks.
Josh Novak took over for him and added two more shutout innings, giving up no hits and striking out one to help Hillsdale get to extras.
Nate Albanese, Hillsdale's final pitcher of six in the contest, took the loss in the 15th inning.
The Chargers are now 9-12 overall and 5-3 in G-MAC play. Hillsdale is now two games behind Findlay and a game back of Ashland in the North Division, but the Oilers still have two more games to play on Sunday, and the Eagles have one more contest to wrap up the weekend series. The Chargers will be back in action at home next weekend with four games against Ohio Dominican, beginning with a single contest on Friday against the Panthers at 4 p.m. ET.
