Trio of late homers, Hill’s gem lead Chargers to sweep of Kishwaukee in conference opener

GALESBURG — The Sandburg baseball team jumped into its Arrowhead Conference schedule with a doubleheader sweep of Kishwaukee on Saturday afternoon at home. The Chargers wrapped up their weekend by dropping a pair of contests Sunday at home against Rock Valley. 

SATURDAY
Game 1
Sandburg 13, Kishwaukee 11
Kishwaukee  000     422     3          —        11
Sandburg      051     016     x          —        13
W-Cruz Paredes 0.1 IP, 0 K, 0 BB

Key moment
Trailing 8-7 in the bottom of the sixth, the Chargers used three homers in a six-run rally to help send them to victory. Braley Burford's leadoff homer to left tied the game, and Jameson Dickerson followed with a single. Carter Ramsey then put Sandburg ahead 10-8 by lining a two-run homer to right on a 2-0 pitch. A Damien Snell double and Colton Allen walk put two on with two out for Chuck Hathaway, who clubbed a three-run home run to right for a 13-8 advantage.

Sandburg standout
Burford's homer was one of four hits in the win for the freshman first baseman. He finished 4 for 5 with a double, a dinger, two runs scored and an RBI.

Other top Chargers
• Snell — 3 for 4, double, walk, three runs, RBI
• Dickerson — 2 for 2, three walks, three runs
• Hathway — 1 for 3, five RBIs
• Allen — Four walks

Game 2
Sandburg 9, Kishwaukee 3
Kishwaukee  000     011     1          —        3
Sandburg      030     006     x          —        9
W-Nathan Hill 6 IP, 6 K, 1 BB

Key moments
• Burke Miller put Sandburg on the board with a three-run blast in the bottom of the second.
• Maintaining a 3-2 edge in the bottom of the sixth, the Chargers put the game away with a six-run frame. Dickerson led off with a home run to left field, and Sandburg went on to score five runs with two out. Chapin came through with an RBI base hit, and Allen added a two-run single in the inning.

Sandburg standout
Starter Nathan Hill gave the Chargers six strong innings in earning the victory. The freshman from Brantford, Ontario, gave up just two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out six Kougars. Fifty of Hill's 86 pitches went for strikes.

Other top Chargers
• Chapin — 2 for 4, run, RBI
• Allen — 2 for 4, run, two RBIs
• Hathaway — 2 for 3, run
• Dickerson — 2 for 4, home run, two runs, RBI
• Miller — 2 for 3, home run, three RBIs

SUNDAY
Game 1
Rock Valley 8, Sandburg 4 (8 innings)
Rock Valley   002     110     04       —        8
Sandburg      020     010     10       —        4
L-Brandon Barrientos 0.2 IP, 0 K, 1 BB

Chargers highlights
Down 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Hathaway's sacrifice fly helped force extra innings. Snell led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a bunt and advanced to third on Allen's base hit before Hathaway pushed him home.

Sandburg standout
Allen had singles in each of his three at-bats to lead an eight-hit attack by the Chargers lineup.

Other top Chargers
• Ramsey — 2 RBIs

Game 2
Rock Valley 15, Sandburg 4 (5 innings)
Rock Valley   10(10) 04       —        15
Sandburg      103     00       —        3
L-Ethan Krei 2.1 IP, 1 K, 4 BB

Sandburg standouts
Hathaway went 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored in the loss.

Other top Chargers
• Miller — 2 for 3, run

UP NEXT
The Chargers' game scheduled for Tuesday at Kishwaukee has been rescheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday.

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