Fresh off a big victory over Wayne State on Saturday night, the Hillsdale College baseball team aimed to build off the momentum of that win with a strong finish to the weekend series in two games against the Warriors on Sunday in Kodak, Tennessee.
However, although the Chargers battled with Wayne State in both contests, Hillsdale couldn't overcome early deficits in either game, taking two close losses to the Warriors to finish the weekend 1-2.
In the seven inning contest to open the day Hillsdale got a decent start from pitcher Tommy MacLean, who went five innings with three strikeouts and seven hits conceded, but Wayne St. pounced on a momentary lapse in the third inning to build a 3-0 lead. The Warriors led off the inning with three straight base hits to drive in a run, then took advantage of the lack of outs to scratch the other two runs across with a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly to get the baserunners in position.
Hillsdale answered back in the top of the sixth inning, as Will Shannon hit a solo home run to get the Chargers on the board, and Danny Passinault drove in Cody Kanclerz to cut the deficit to 3-2. But the Chargers couldn't hold Wayne St. down in the bottom of the sixth, as the Warriors took advantage of a leadoff walk to score two insurance runs. Hillsdale got a runner to second base in the top of the seventh but couldn't close the gap any further as Wayne St. finished off a 5-2 win.
Shannon led the Chargers with two hits, including the solo home run, Jaekob Sallee chipped in two doubles and Joe Hardenbergh added two hits as well. MacLean took the loss on the mound for Hillsdale, with Paul Brophy also pitching in relief.
In the nine inning nightcap, Hillsdale found themselves playing from behind early, as Wayne St. jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Chargers refused to go down easily, as Jeff Landis answered with a solo home run in the top of the second inning to close the gap. Hillsdale would score at least one run in each of the next four innings, but Wayne St. continued to put up runs in each of those innings as well, using early baserunners and trading outs to get them in position to score.
Hillsdale made a big push in the top of the eighth inning, trailing 10-5. Danny Passinault hit a RBI single to cut the deficit to four, and Cody Kanclerz drove in another run on a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 10-7 with just one out in the inning. But Hillsdale couldn't create another baserunner, and in the top of the ninth, despite a two-out double from Hardenbergh, couldn't string together the hits to mount a late rally.
Along with Landis' home run, Jaekob Sallee went 2 for 5 with a RBI double for the Chargers, and Hardenbergh, Kanclerz and Sean Nemetz each added in a double as well.
Drew Olssen took the loss for the Chargers, with Logan Simon, Chad Stevens, Dillon Manion and Zane Barnhart all pitching in relief. Barnhart continued a strong start to the season, with three strikeouts, no walks, no runs and just one hit conceded in two and a third innings of work.
The Chargers are now 5-4 on the season and have one more weekend series before spring break, traveling to Rolla, Missouri next weekend for four contests against host Missouri S&T.