San Antonio - The Trinity Tiger football team picked up its first home victory of the season with a 22-19 win over Southwestern University on Saturday night.

Kicker Miguel Mendiola booted a 26-yard field goal with 6:00 left in the game, breaking a 19-19 deadlock. The scoring play was set up as Adam Saunders intercepted his second pass of the game, returning it to the Southwestern 36 yard line. 

Trinity improved to 2-5, while Southwestern dropped to 1-5. Both teams are members of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, but today's meeting was a non-conference matchup.  The November 8 game in Georgetown, Texas, hosted by Southwestern, will count toward the SCAC standings. The Tigers widened the series lead with the Pirates to 12-10-2, dating back to 1909. Southwestern restarted its program last year, and Trinity won both games in 2013.

After a botched snap on Trinity's attempt to punt on the first drive of the game, Southwestern plunged in from three yards out to get on the board first.  Mendiola cut into the lead with his first field goal of the night from 33 yards out, then Saunders put the Tigers in front 10-7 with a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown.  

The Pirates rallied quickly though on a 42-yard pass play to go up 13-10, with the extra point pending.  Then, things got interesting to say the least.  Trinity's Bradley Drenon blocked the extra-point attempt, and after bouncing around to several players from both teams, it was Saunders who wound up with the loose ball - returning it to give Trinity the two-point conversion, and putting the score at 13-12 at the end of a wild opening quarter.

Southwestern scored early in the second quarter, taking advantage of one of three Trinity turnovers.  The Pirates needed just 26 yards to find the end zone, but again, it was the extra-point that hurt them.  This time it was Austin Pierce that blocked the PAT that kept the lead 19-12.  

Trinity answered on the ensuing drive, capping a nine-play, 76-yard drive with a 28-yard touchdown from Mason Blaschke to tight end Sam Harford.  

The score was 19-19 at the half, and it didn't change until the winning kick by Mendiola late in the fourth quarter.

Blaschke completed 15-29 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown. He also had 14 carries for 47 yards. Desmond King rushed 10 times for 35 yards, and also chalked up 143 all-purpose yards in the game - including 77 on kickoff returns. Harford snagged five passes for 66 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Julian Turner led Trinity with 13 total tackles, including three solo. Turner also amassed three quarterback hurries. Connor Yorloff had 10 tackles (four solo) and two QB hurries. Hood had eight tackles, which included two sacks for a loss of 13 yards, and one forced fumble. Saunders shined with his two interceptions for 82 yards. Drenon and Martel Matthews each contributed four QB hurries.

Trinity has a bye week, then begins its SCAC schedule November 1 at Seguin, Texas, against undefeated Texas Lutheran University. Following the November 8 trip to Southwestern, the Tigers wrap up the regular-season schedule November 15 by hosting Austin College in a conference matchup at 1:00 p.m.