Georgetown, Texas – Trinity's fourth-ranked baseball team swept a Saturday doubleheader from Southwestern (Texas) University to clinch the weekend series.

The Rundown: Game One

The Tigers scored early and often in the opening game of the twinbill, inducing the run-rule with a 16-6 lead after seven innings.

A leadoff walk led to a two-run homer in the top of the first inning, as Jack Baker (Sugar Land, Texas / Ridge Point) put Trinity on top 2-0 early. Southwestern issued three more walks in the inning, and Tyler Pettit (Round Rock, Texas / Round Rock) drew a bases-loaded RBI walk for the second straight game to make it a three-run lead after one.

Southwestern also took advantage of a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first to get on the board, though the home team also benefitted from a pair of passed balls to net the unearned run.

Brian Schaub (Hatfield, Pa. / La Salle College) led off the third with a solo homer – his second in as many games – to push the lead back to three runs (4-1). The Tigers then put up six more runs in the fifth to blow the game wide open. Baker drove in another run, while Trinity also drew another bases-loaded walk and was hit by a pitch with the sacks full.

The Pirates got two of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it 10-3, but Mason Meredith (Houston, Texas / Memorial) smacked a two-run single in the fifth to keep the scoring going for the Tigers. An error and wild pitches led to four more Tiger runs in the fourth to set up the early ending.

By the Numbers: Game One

Michael Herrera (Phoenix, Ariz. / Sunrise Mountain) tied a school record by drawing four walks in the game, which is also the second time in as many seasons that the senior has accomplished that feat. He also scored three runs in the game.

Baker finished his Tiger debut with a pair of hits that included his first collegiate round-tripper. He drove in three runs and scored three more. Cristian Holloway (Brownsville, Texas / Veterans Memorial) also celebrated his first collegiate action by going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Schaub and Jack Vonderhaar (Woodinville, Wash. / Redmond) matched Herrera with three runs scored each, while Schaub drove in two runs and hit his second home run of the weekend series.

Pettit and Meredith both picked up two RBI, while Meredith also had two runs scored.

Cade McGahan (Davidson, N.C. / Hough) earned the win to improve to 2-0 on the year. He allowed one earned run – three total – on four hits over four innings of work, striking out six batters. Jack Schmitt (St. Louis, Mo. / Lafayette) struck out five over the final three innings to secure the save.

The Rundown: Game Two

After a tight game for eight innings, Trinity pulled away from Southwestern with a four-run ninth that secured a 9-3 victory and a doubleheader sweep.

The Pirates got on the board first with a run in the second, scoring on back-to-back doubles with two outs. Southwestern also held the Tigers scoreless over the first four innings, including escaping a bases-loaded jam in the second. Trinity strung together four hits in the fifth, though, taking the lead on a sacrifice fly by Jack Wisniewski (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian College Preparatory).

Back-to-back two-out singles in the sixth set up Vonderhaar's three-run home run that made it a comfortable 5-1 lead, but Southwestern rallied in the next half-inning. The Pirates loaded the bases with the first three batters of the inning, eventually scoring on a walk and a fielder's choice to cut the lead in half. All told, Trinity gave up three walks and hit two batters in the inning, but still managed to strand the bases loaded and maintain the lead.

Trinity left the bases loaded themselves in the seventh and failed to add to the slim two-run lead, but Tiger reliever Matthew Thomas (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Horizon) made sure that didn't matter. Thomas came on in the bottom of the seventh and shut down Southwestern's offense, pitching three shutout innings in which he didn't allow a hit. 

Rafe Chaumette (Sugar Land, Texas / Clements) singled home a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to make it a 7-3 game, then Wisniewski drove in two more with a single of his own to pad the Tiger lead even more. Thomas put the finishing touches on the game by striking out the side in the ninth.

By the Numbers: Game Two

James Nittoli (San Antonio, Texas / Alamo Heights) had a solid outing as the starter, striking out four batters and scattering four hits over his five innings of work to earn the win and move to 1-0 this season. Thomas picked up his second save of the year with an impressive relief appearance. He struck out eight batters without allowing a hit in three scoreless innings to end the game.

Chaumette paced a 16-hit offensive onslaught, going 4-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored. Schaub and Holloway had three more hits in the second game to add to their impressive output on Saturday.

Vonderhaar and Wisniewski drove in three runs each for the Tigers. Wisniewski went 2-for-5 in the game, while Vonderhaar's only hit was a three-run homer that tied him with Schaub for the team lead.

Baker scored three more runs in game two to give him six runs scored in the doubleheader, also adding two more hits to his day. Michael Goodrich (Gilbert, Ariz. / Basha) drew three of Trinity's six walks in the game.

Up Next

The Tigers and Pirates will wrap up the weekend series with a Sunday afternoon game at 2:00 p.m. It will be Trinity's last home game until March 30 – a span of 14 games currently on the schedule.