HILLSDALE, Mich. – A six-run second inning lifted Ohio Dominican's baseball team to an 8-3 victory over Hillsdale College in the first game of a GLIAC doubleheader Saturday at Simpson Field. The Chargers bounced back and took game two from the Panthers by a count of 3-1.

Nick DiNello (Boardman, Ohio), Austin Grate (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Germaine McAlpine (Canton, Ohio) all had three hits and two RBI in the twinbill, while starters Alex Borgan (Pickerington, Ohio) and Zane Miller (London, Ohio) both threw complete games with Borgan tallying his fourth victory of the year in the opener.

The Panthers sent 11 hitters to the plate in that big scoring inning, with DiNello doubling to left-center to score Grate and Bryan Rudolph (Pickerington, Ohio) and Evan Shaw (Delaware, Ohio) delivering an RBI single as well. McAlpine had an RBI groundout, and with two outs, Tyler Zaidel (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Grate both recorded RBI doubles as part of the seven-hit attack in the inning that put ODU on top 6-0.

The six runs proved to be more than enough for Borgan, who kept the Chargers off the board until the sixth inning. The right-hander allowed seven hits and two earned runs while striking out four in the victory, his team-best fifth complete game.

ODU tacked on its final two runs in the seventh inning on the strength of RBI doubles from Grate and Bobby Franks (Portage, Mich.). The Panthers finished the game with 12 hits, including a season-high five doubles. The 12 hits were the most since the team also had 12 in a 14-11 win over Lake Erie on April 13.

Miller, locked into a pitcher's duel in the second game, held Hillsdale to just four hits over the first five innings. ODU manufactured the first run of the game in the fifth as, with two outs and none on, Shaw singled and stole second and came in to score on an RBI single by McAlpine.

In the bottom of the sixth, though, Hillsdale got on the board with an RBI single to knot the game at one, and a two-run homer proved to be the go-ahead margin.

ODU didn't go quietly in the seventh, though. With two outs and the bases empty, DiNello singled and Shaw reached on an error. McAlpine then singled to load the bases, but Zaidel grounded out back to the mound to end it.

Miller suffered the loss despite allowing just seven hits and one walk. He struck out four in his second complete game effort of the season.

The Panthers moved to 15-23 (12-15 GLIAC) following the doubleheader, while Hillsdale is now 14-26 (10-16). The two teams conclude their series with a doubleheader at noon Sunday from Simpson Field.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu