Hillsdale, Michigan – The University of Findlay baseball team split a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) doubleheader on Sunday, March 17 at Hillsdale College. In the first game, the Oilers earned a 2-1 victory to win the series, before dropping a 10-9 decision in the weekend finale. With the split, the Oilers have a record of 9-9 overall and a 3-1 mark in the G-MAC while Hillsdale is now 5-12 overall and 1-3 in league play.
Game 1 (W 2-1)
Yesterday's two games feature a total of 48 runs between the two teams, but in the opener on Sunday, things were completely opposite. Findlay's first hit of the day came in the third inning and neither team found a way to score for six full innings of play.
It was not until the seventh that the Oilers finally get in the run column. Senior Andrew Micale doubled with one out and, following a foul-out, came in to score on a single by freshman Nick Palm. The next batter, senior Aiden Lao, then ripped a ball down the right field line to score Palm and give Findlay a 2-0 lead.
The bottom of the inning saw the Chargers threaten, using a one-out single and two-out triple to cut the Oilers' lead to 2-1. With a runner on third and two outs, starting pitcher sophomore Carson Mellott coaxed a fly out to end the game.
Findlay finished with two runs on six hits while Hillsdale had one run on four hits.
Mellott was the winning pitcher, throwing complete game. He allowed just one run on four hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out five to earn his second victory of the year.
Game 2 (L 10-9)
The nightcap was a roller coaster game that featured four lead changes.
Findlay struck first, using a two-run single by Lao in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead, but in the bottom of the third, a two-run double by the Chargers tied the contest.
In the fifth, senior Cam Farrar blasted his third home run of the weekend to give his squad the 3-2 advantage.
Hillsdale made a big more in the middle innings, scoring two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to pull ahead 7-3, but in the seventh, Findlay struck for five runs on three hits to regain the advantage.
In that seventh, Palm doubled the lead off and scored on a double by sophomore Keelan Daniel. Senior Nate Brooks collected the last hit of the inning as the Oilers took advantage of two Hillsdale errors on their way to the five-run frame.
The Chargers tied the score at 8-8 in the seventh, but Findlay again responded. Brooks, with two outs, ripped an RBI single to right, scoring Farrar who reached on a hit-by-pitch.
Leading 9-8, Findlay needed to successfully navigate the bottom of the eighth and ninth to seal a series sweep, but it was not meant to be as the Chargers, playing in their new facility, Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium, for the first time, would score a pair of runs in the eighth to take a 10-9 lead.
Freshman Aiden Booth was hit by a pitch to start the ninth and advanced on a passed ball. However, he would be stranded on second base, ending the game.
Findlay ended with nine runs on ten hits while Hillsdale had ten runs on eight hits and made three errors.
Brooks led the offense, picking up three hits and three RBI in the game.
Freshman Aidan Kiessling started the game and threw 4.2 innings, allowing five runs on three hits. Senior Sebastian Jones took the loss, throwing just one inning and allowing the final two runs. As a staff, the Oilers, which used five pitchers in the game, combined for nine walks, three hit batters, and an intentional walk to help bolster what otherwise was a stagnant Chargers' offense on the weekend.
Findlay will travel to Indianapolis, Ind. On Tuesday, March 19 for a single game against the University of Indianapolis. That game will start at 3:00 pm.
