AUGUSTA, Ga. (Baseball) – The Paine College Lions baseball team completed their three game series with Hillsdale College this weekend in a single game on Sunday afternoon. The Lions fought hard but couldn't keep the Chargers at bay and were defeated 9-8.

With the loss, Paine moves 7-6, overall, this season. Hillsdale improves to 2-1, overall.

In the bottom of the first inning, Paine got on the board first with two runs. The first run was scored when Fentress Henderson hit ground ball to drive in Jalen Horton, 1-0. Horton reached first base on an error, advanced to second base on Kendrick Elder's single, and stole third base. Elder was the second run scored when Adam Martin hit a ground rule double into left field, 2-0. Elder reached first base with a single, then stole second base, and advanced to third base on Henderson's ground ball.

The Lions continued their scoring ways in the bottom of the second inning with three more runs. The third and fourth runs were scored when Elder hit a single into left field to score Horton and Gabriel Guzman, 4-0. Horton reached first base on a fielder's choice, and stole second base. Guzman singled to reach first base, and advanced to second and third on an error. The fifth run was scored when Henderson hit a single to drive in Elder, 5-0. Elder reached first with a single, and stole second base.

Paine kept the rally going with two more runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Lion's fifth run came in when Brisco Johnson hit a home run to score himself and Ricky Caruajal, 7-0. Caruajal walked to reach first base and stole second base.

Hillsdale eventually got on the board in the top of the fourth inning with four runs. The Charger's first run was scored when Ethan Wiskur doubled to score Michael O'Sullivan, 7-1. O'Sullivan walked to reach first base, moved to second when Chris McDonald was hit by a pitch. Tad Sobieszczanski hit a single deep into left field to score McDonald and Wiskur, 7-3. McDonald reached first when he was hit by a pitch and advanced to second when Wiskur doubled. Wiskur doubled to reach second base. The fourth run was scored when Joe Gentile hit a sacrifice fly into center field to drive in Sobieszczanski, 7-4. Sobieszczanski hit a single to reach first base and advanced to second on a wild pitch.

The Chargers struck again in the top of the fifth inning with another run. Wiskur singled deep into right field and drove in McDonald, 7-5. McDonald singled to
reach first base.

The Lions started to get back on track in the bottom of the fifth inning and answer with a run of their own. Horton hit a triple and drove in Brad Doebler, 8-5. Doebler singled to the short stop to reach first base.

Hillsdale rallied back and score two runs in the top of the seventh inning. The sixth run came in when Colin Boerst singled to drive in Sobieszczanski, 8-6. Sobieszczanski singled to reach first base, advanced to second when Connor Bartlett hit a single, and moved to third on a sacrifice hit. Barlett was the seventh run scored on a fielding error by the short stop, 8-7. Bartlett reached first base on a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice hit, and moved to third base when Boerst singled.

The Chargers scored again in the top of the eighth inning when Sobieszczanski drove in McDonald, 8-8. McDonald doubled to reach second base and moved to third when Wiskur hit a sacrifice fly into right field.

Hillsdale scored the final run of the game in the top of the ninth inning when Luke Ortel hit a home run over the right field fence, 9-8.

Zach Rader (0-1) takes the loss on the mound for Paine with three innings pitched for seven hits and four runs.

Mitchell Gatt gets credit for the win with one inning pitched for no runs, no hits and two strike outs.

The Lions will host Voorhees College in a single game on Lions Field at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24.