The Hillsdale College baseball team bounced back from a tough extra inning loss and moved a big step closer to reaching the G-MAC Tournament with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Tiffin on Saturday.

The Chargers showed few ill effects from a 7-6 loss in 10 innings to the Dragons the night before, riding two dominant pitching performances to 7-2 and 5-0 victories that give Hillsdale the edge in the series with Tiffin so far.

Junior Jacob Pallo (5-3) cruised through seven innings in the first game, striking out two, walking one and giving up just six hits and one earned run in a complete game victory. The Chargers gave Pallo plenty of run support at the plate thanks to a big day from sophomore Jake Figman, who got Hillsdale on the board in the bottom of the second with a solo home run, then added a RBI double as part of a five-run third inning that saw the Chargers pull away in the 7-2 win.

Rocco Tenuta added a two-run double in the third and the Chargers tacked on two more runs on sacrifice flies by Tyler Sowers and Ryan Wiehe to take a 6-0 lead.

The only minor trouble Pallo ran into came in the top of the fourth inning, when Tiffin plated two runs on a triple and a Chargers error, but Hillsdale got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fourth after Aaron Jasiak drew a leadoff walk, stole two bases and scored on a wild pitch.

Figman went 3 for 3 at the plate with two doubles and a home run to lead Hillsdale in the victory, while Jasiak added a double and those two stolen bases, and Tyler Turner singled and stole a base as well.

In the nightcap, senior Patrick MacLean (3-2) was lights out in his final appearance in Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium and TFO Partners Field, pitching a complete game shutout with eight strikeouts, three walks and just five hits conceded in a 5-0 win for the Chargers.

Hillsdale broke a scoreless game open in the bottom of the third, as Jake Figman drove in a run on a double, his fourth extra base hit of the doubleheader, and later scored on a wild pitch in the inning. Tyler Sowers also put a run on the board for the Chargers in the third with a sacrifice fly to give Hillsdale a 3-0 advantage. 

The Chargers added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull away, as Tyler Turner led off the inning with a single, stole a base and later scored on a wild pitch by the Dragons. Hillsdale also plated another run on a Dragons error to put the game out of reach as MacLean didn't allow a baserunner in the final two innings to seal the victory.

Turner was 2 for 3 to lead the Chargers in the nightcap, while Tenuta chipped in a double as well for Hillsdale. 

The win puts Hillsdale in strong position to make the G-MAC Tournament with a 14-13 conference record and a 20-24 overall mark. The Chargers can lock up a bid tomorrow at noon, as Hillsdale finishes a four game set with the Dragons with a single nine inning contest. A win by the Chargers would guarantee Hillsdale a spot in the G-MAC Tournament at Prasco Park in May, and eliminate Tiffin from tourney contention.