The Collegian

Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Myles Sandrian

Media Credit: Myles Sandrian

Media Credit: Myles Sandrian

Media Credit: Myles Sandrian

Coming off a split series with Mercyhurst College, the Hillsdale College baseball team carried momentum into Wednesday's non-conference games against the Dragons of Tiffin University, but never had the chance to do anything with it.

Tiffin swept the Chargers 9-2 and 16-2. The Chargers now sit at eighth out of nine teams in the GLIAC standings, with a 4-12 record in conference play and are 9-21 overall.

"They're good hitters," senior Joe Schoonover said of Tiffin. "They just hit the ball harder than us."

Schoonover, a pitcher, started game one where he gave up six runs before leaving in the third inning.

Yesterday's second game appeared beyond the Chargers' reach before the first out was even attained. Tiffin right fielder Devin Rudolph homered off Hillsdale starter Matt Clark, a senior, on the game's second pitch. The Dragons followed with two more home runs that inning.

"We were terrible today," head baseball coach Paul Noce said. "We gotta bounce back this weekend."

The Chargers were without the services of senior captain Brandon Hubbard, who was out with strep throat. The lineup didn't have much punch to it, although junior Jesse Smith hit his first home run of the season in game two.

"We were playing with a ton of guys out of position," Noce said. "We need more depth against the good teams."

Earlier in the week, it looked as if the Chargers had broken out of their slump, splitting a four game set with Mercyhurst. Monday, the Chargers rolled to a game-one victory behind another complete game from freshman Dan Rhodes, winning 6-2, but dropped game two 8-1.

Sunday, Hillsdale lost a close game one 4-2 but took game two 2-0 on the strength of junior Scott Monterastelli's complete game shutout. Freshman catcher Anthony Giarmo hit his first home run of the season to help.

Noce said there's an outside, "long shot" chance the Chargers can make the GLIAC playoffs in May, but they'd need to win out.

"We're a young team, playing a lot of young guys in there," he said. "They're taking their lumps now."

The Chargers finish out their home games this coming week, as the Northwood University Wildcats comes to town this weekend, followed by Indianapolis University Tuesday and Rochester College Wednesday. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.

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