The Chargers squeezed in a game between Wednesday’s thunder and rain, dropping a close game 1-0 to Northwood.
Kris Morris echoed his weekend’s complete game by pitching another full seven innings, allowing only three hits and one earned run. Hillsdale only had two hits in response and were unable to put up any runs.
The second game of the doubleheader was canceled due to weather.
Over the weekend, the Chargers lost two out of three to Ashland. The series started well with an 8-1 victory in Saturday’s first game. Kris Morris pitched a complete game, allowing only one earned run and striking out four.
“I think just being a teammate of Kris, you all pull for him,” senior Mike Vanchieri said. “You want him to get that win so badly so it was nice for him to get it.”
“Kris did a tremendous job for us,” head coach Paul Noce said. “We played well in the first game and took advantage of mishaps by Ashland and we came out on top.”
Freshman Geordy Smith went 3-for-4, and senior Mike Vanchieri picked up two RBIs.
The Chargers lost the second game of the doubleheader, 12-2. The team only got three hits and made four errors in the game.
Ashland had another high-scoring game on Sunday, beating Hillsdale 14-5. Freshman Lucas Hamelink pitched 4.1 innings, allowing nine runs.
“We are going through some growing pains with the freshmen in learning how to handle different situations,” Noce said. “It’s still a learning process.”
“This year we have a higher ceiling than in past years,” Vanchieri said. “If we play our best baseball, we have a great shot at going to the postseason. But it’s all about living up to that potential that you have.”
The Chargers have played four of the five best teams in the conference to this point, and will face Wayne State, the final team in that group, this weekend.
Vanchieri said Ashland was just as good as any other team they have played this season, and would group them with University of Tampa and Florida Tech.
“You’re consoled by the fact that they’re a great team, but it’s still disappointing to lose the series,” he said. “But the thing about baseball is that you have to get over it really quickly.”
Noce said the team’s goal at this time in the season is to win series.
“We need to win two out of three from here on out,” he said. “That’s very important so that we finish towards the top of the conference. We are capable of doing it. We just have to pull the whole team—pitching, hitting, and defense—together at the same time.”
“I hope we just go out and compete and really try having some fun again,” Vanchieri said of the upcoming games. “We need to go out there and play loose and not worry about how many wins we need to get to get a playoff spot. We need to work hard, hustle, have fun, and support our teammates. I think if we do that, we’ll be pleased with the results.”
