Box Score Abilene, Texas - Junior outfielder Nick Pappas
(Los Angeles, CA/Loyola HS) crushed a grand slam in the top of the
ninth inning to lift the Trinity baseball team to a 7-5 victory
over Concordia (TX) University, in Thursday's NCAA Regional
Tournament at Walt Driggers Field.
After Kyle Felix drew a walk that loaded the bases with one out,
Pappas took a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left field to stave off
elimination for the Tigers.
Trinity lost 3-2 to the University of Redlands yesterday, and
would have been eliminated from the NCAA Playoffs with a
loss.
The Tigers struck first with a run in the top of the first, but
a three-run inning by Concordia put the home team in control.
The Tornados added runs in the second and fourth innings to go up
5-1 before Trinity could answer. The Tigers scored once in
the fifth and once in the sixth to cut the lead in half, setting up
the dramatic ninth-inning blast.
Pappas finished 3-4 with 5 RBI in the game, setting a Trinity
record for RBI in a regional playoff game.
In the bottom of the ninth, Concordia put the tying run aboard
with no outs after two walks, but a line-drive double play on an
attempted sacrifice squashed the rally.
Dylan Early was 2-4 with two runs scored, while Kevin Francke
and Dominick Robusto also had two hits each. Francke also
made a sliding catch on the bunt in the ninth, leading to the key
double play.
Starter Ben Klimesh lasted just three batters, sandwiching a hit
batter between two walks. Noah Solomon came on in relief,
pitching 4.0 innings, and was charged with two runs on five
hits.
Ryan Lucero (6-1) earned the win, tossing five shutout innings
to close the game. Lucero gave up just two hits, and walked
three, striking out two batters - including the game's final
hitter.
Trinity will face fifth-ranked Linfield College tomorrow
afternoon at 3:30 p.m. The winner advances to play on
Saturday at noon.