“It was just one win, but it’s a big win for us,” junior third baseman Scott Lantis said.
The Chargers split a doubleheader against rival Grand Valley on April 3. Though Hillsdale lost the first game 6-4, they won the second 5-2.
“We played with them the first game and overcame them in the second game,” freshman pitcher Shane Armstrong said. “That showed that we can play anybody if we put all of our skills together.”
Hillsdale led Grand Valley 4-3 until the sixth inning of the first game. The Lakers scored three times in the following innings.
Lantis said the men made a few small errors that cost them the game.
Senior outfielder Mike Blanchard had two hits, an RBI, and one run. Senior catcher Chris Stephens, sophomore first baseman Matt Pochmara, and freshman shortstop Nolan Breymaier had one hit apiece.
Grand Valley opened the second game with a run but Hillsdale responded with two when Blanchard and Lantis scored. By the fourth inning, the teams were tied 2-2. Blanchard scored off of Pochmara’s bunt, and Stephens scored off of Vanchieri’s single through the right side.
Assistant coach Eric Theisen said Pochmara’s bunt was the turning point in the game.
“We pride ourselves on playing small ball and moving runners with bunts and steals,” Lantis said. “It’s something we’ve struggled with in the past. It makes such a big difference when you can get a runner in a scoring position.”
The Chargers cemented their win when Lantis doubled to right field and Blanchard scored.
Armstrong pitched six innings and three strikeouts. After he allowed two runs in the first two innings, he shut out the Lakers in the last four innings he pitched. Lantis said that Armstrong threw six innings against the No. 20 team in the nation.
“I haven’t thrown in a high profile game besides that one,” Armstrong said. “Knowing their track record was nerve wracking but also a good test to see where I was against some of the nation’s best.”
Theisen said that Armstrong is one of the team’s better pitchers because he can throw his fastball where he wants it to go.
“He more or less just attacked the hitters without fear,” he said.
In the final inning, senior pitcher Kris Morris replaced Armstrong and shut down Grand Valley.
“Shane got the win and Kris got the save,” Lantis said.
This past weekend, Lake Erie College swept the Chargers in a four-game series. The Storm won the first game on Saturday 11-6.
The Chargers opened the game with a run when junior Scott Lantis singled to center field and Blanchard scored. But Lake Erie batted in 8 runs in the second inning and Hillsdale was unable to regain the lead.
In the second game, the Chargers narrowly lost 8-6. The men gained the lead in the first inning when Lantis scored, unearned, after junior right fielder Mike Vanchieri singled to right field and advanced to second on a fielding error. They extended that lead into the sixth inning when Lantis flied out to centerfield and senior center fielder Pat O’Hearn scored.
The sixth inning proved disastrous for the Chargers. Lake Erie surged into first after scoring five runs.
Vanchieri and Blanchard had two hits each. Lantis and Blanchard each had two runs batted in.
Theisen said that the team is focusing on the little aspects of the game.
“We need to continue trying to be perfect in the things that we can control,” he said. “We talk about that a lot to our guys: taking care of the little things and letting the big things happen.”
Hillsdale lost 3-0 in their third game against Lake Erie on Sunday. No one on the team had any hits, except Lantis with two. And sophomore pitcher Colin Gerish struck out five players.
Hillsdale started the fourth game when Blanchard scored off of a fielder’s choice. Lake Erie countered that lead, though, with two runs in the first and concluded the game with a 4-1 victory.
Breymaier and Lantis both had two hits. Freshman catcher Sean Bennett had a hit and a run batted in.
On Friday and Saturday, the men play four games at the University of Findlay. Next Tuesday, the Chargers will play Grand Valley State University again in a doubleheader.
“Beating such a good team was a huge momentum builder for us,” Lantis said. “We hope to continue that momentum.”
