HILLSDALE, Mich. - The Dragons made an improbable, seventh-inning comeback to win 11-10 in the first game against the Chargers and rode that momentum to a 10-3 victory in the second contest as Tiffin (10-28, 7-17) swept a road twinbill over Hillsdale (13-25, 9-15) Saturday afternoon (April 23) in Hillsdale, Mich.
Val Helldobler swung the hot bat for Tiffin, knocking three singles, a pair of doubles, five RBI's and two runs scored in six at-bats. Cory Osborne went 5-for-7 with three RBI's and four runs scored while Colin Lowe and Pat Curtin added their first round-trippers of the season.
Kyle Klinker captured his first win in five tries in game one, giving up one run in a third of an inning. Cory Hornyak tallied his first save of the season, allowing only one hit in the bottom of the seventh of game one. Chris Pistorio evened his record to 3-3 in game two, giving up six hits and three runs with three strikeouts in six innings.
Adam Connell led the Chargers with a single and a home run in five at-bats with three RBI's and two runs scored. Pat Hearn went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI's.
Dan Pochmara (0-2) took the loss in game one in relief, allowing seven runs (six earned) with five hits in an inning pitched. Michael Keve fell to 3-5 with the loss in the second game, allowing seven runs and seven hits in four innings of work.
A pair of sacrifice flies gave Hillsdale a lead in the top of the second in game one off of Tiffin starter Donnie Smith, but TU countered with a trio of runs in the top of the third. Singles by Ryan Williams, Zach McCutcheon and Curtin loaded the bases before a walk by Michael Dushane cut the Hilldale lead in half. Jordan Chiero and Osborne added sacrifice flies to vault Tiffin in the lead.
In the seesaw battle, Hillsdale retook the lead 7-3 with a five-spot in the bottom of the fourth. After Hillsdale scored a pair thanks to four singles and a sacrifice fly, a three-run home run by Connell pushed the home team's lead to 7-3. A two-out single by Helldobler in the top of the sixth brought Tiffin within three, but Hillsdale countered with two in the bottom of the inning for what looked to be enough insurance thanks to a two-out, two RBI single by John Bonvillian.
However, in the top of the seventh, Tiffin turned a 9-4 deficit into an 11-9 lead. A walk by pinch-hitter Chris Hall and a hit by pitch by Curtin put two on with one out. Dushane walked before a two-RBI single by Chiero brought the Dragons within three with still only one down. Singles by Osborne and Lowe scored another run and put the go-ahead run on. Helldobler followed with a single to tie the game before a balk gave Tiffin the lead. An RBI double by Cory Hornyak gave TU an insurance run and an 11-9 lead.
Hillsdale had second and third with no outs in the bottom of the inning, but Hornyak slammed the door for his first save of the year. After a sacrifice fly, Hornyak forced an infield fly for the second out and a fly ball to centerfield to preserve the win.
Tiffin never trailed in game two en route to the seven-run win. TU took a lead in the second thanks to an Osborne double, sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly by Helldobler. Hillsdale knotted the game with a two-out single, a stolen base and a two-out hit by Pat O'Hearn. Tiffin answered with a Curtin solo shot in the third, a Lowe two-run home run and an RBI double by Hornyak in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead.
Hillsdale scored a pair in the bottom of the fourth to climb within two, but Tiffin blew the game open with five runs in the top of the fifth thanks in large part to bases loaded walks. Curtin walked and a pair of bunt singles loaded the bases. Every runner moved up a base on Osborne's single before a Hillsdale error kept the bases loaded and scored the second run of the inning. Helldobler, Hornyak and Hall all then drew RBI walks for the final runs of the game.
Tiffin returns to action Wednesday (April 27) when it travels to Findlay for a doubleheader with the Oilers. The twinbill is set to begin at 2 p.m.
