Victoria, Texas – Trinity's baseball team opened up the 2018 season with a 5-3 road victory over the University of Houston-Victoria (TX).

GAME SUMMARY

The Tigers piled up four runs over the first three innings, but UHV rallied for two runs in the bottom of the third to cut the lead in half.

The Jaguars inched even closer with another run in the bottom of the eighth, but Trinity added an insurance run in the ninth for the game's final score.

Trinity got the scoring started with John Tucker's RBI triple with two outs in the top of the second, then used three more extra-base hits for a three-run third.

Houston-Victoria scored twice on a two-out double of its own in the bottom of the third, then drove in its final run in the eighth to make it a 4-3 game.

Tucker collected another extra-base hit with a leadoff double in the ninth, then scored on a sac fly from Joey Pecoraro.

Houston-Victoria got double plays to end Trinity threats in the first and seventh innings, but it was a Tiger double play in the ninth that sealed the win.

HIGHLIGHTS

Trinity wins its first game of the year for the first time since the 2015 season, and Head Coach Tim Scannell is now 16-4 in season openers as he begins his 20th year as the Tiger skipper.

John Tucker led the offense with three of Trinity's eight total hits, going 3-4 with a double and a triple, driving in the first run of the game and then scoring the last in the ninth.

Rafe Chaumette was 2-5 with a triple and stole two bases, while Parker Cormack, Jake Martin, and Logan Morrison all had extra-base hits.

Kevin Flores (1-0) went six strong innings and endured a rain delay of nearly an hour in the second inning. Flores recorded 10 strikeouts against just one walk, giving up two runs on just four hits.

Ian Hussian came on for a three-inning save to close out the game, allowing one run on four hits and striking out three batters.

UP NEXT

Trinity and Houston-Victoria will continue the three-game weekend series Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m.