By Brian Yancelson

SAN ANTONIO – The 18th-ranked Trinity baseball team opened Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) play with a bang as they bested the Southwestern University Pirates in a 13-11 victory on Friday night.

The Tigers trailed 9-5 after the top of the sixth inning, but four-run bursts in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings let the Tigers tie and take the lead. For the third consecutive game, Trinity lit up the box score with double-digit runs and hits to improve to 8-5 while the Pirates now stand at 7-6 with the loss.

Second baseman Colt Harris (Katy, TX / Houston Christian) delivered the clutch game-tying single and first baseman MJ Metz (San Diego, CA / Canyon Crest Academy) tripled home two Tigers to put Trinity ahead for good. Third baseman Jack Wisniewski (San Antonio, TX / Antonian College Preparatory) led the way with four RBI on two hits while Cam Sheets (Houston, TX / Memorial) came out of the bullpen and steered his way through two scoreless innings to pick up his first win of the season.

The Rundown

Southwestern got on the board early in the second inning, but Trinity quickly responded in the third as shortstop Tanner Haney (Waco, Texas / Waco) roped a run-scoring double down the left field line to tie things up at one. Left fielder Brian Schaub (Hatfield, PA / La Salle College) then took a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to give the Tigers their first lead of the night.

The Pirates jumped ahead with five straight runs, but the Tigers weren't going down without a fight. Right fielder Ezra Gore (Dallas, TX / McKinney North) scurried home on a passed ball before Wisniewski snuck a two-run base hit into center field that cut the deficit to a lone tally.

Southwestern added three more runs to quiet the storm for a moment in the sixth, but the home team again showed a no-quit attitude. With two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the frame, Gore struck the scoreboard with a solo home run, his second in as many games. Wisniewski then drew a bases-loaded walk that gave Harris the chance to even the score 9-9 with his grounder into the outfield.

Sheets kept things right where they were in the seventh, giving the Tigers the opportunity to break the deadlock and they certainly did in the latter part of the inning. Metz rocketed a two-RBI triple to the right-center field fence that put the Tigers up 11-9. Wanting more, designated hitter Jack Vonderhaar (Woodinville, WA / Redmond) and Wisniewski each drove home a teammate by singling up the middle to increase Trinity's advantage to 13-9.

The Pirates managed to creep a bit closer, but reliever Joseph Chavana (Laredo, TX / J.B. Alexander) shut the door in the ninth inning to secure the win for Trinity in their conference opener.

Numbers to Note

Right-handed pitcher Corey Cater (Sacramento, CA / Valley Christian Academy) started on the mound for the Tigers. He allowed five earned runs on nine base hits while striking out eight hitters.

The four RBI tied a career high for Wisniewski. The senior has driven in four runs two other times in his career, with both other occurrences coming in the 2021 season.

Gore's home run was his third of the season. That ties him with Metz and Schaub for the team lead. The right fielder still maintains the highest RBI count among the Tigers.

Metz stole two bags and now has six in 2022, the most of any Trinity player. The California native already surpassed the five stolen bases that he racked up a season ago.

Up Next

The SCAC rivals go back at it with a Saturday doubleheader. Game one is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

Brian Yancelson
Tiger Network

Pursuing a major in Communication with double minors in Political Science and Sport Management from Trinity, Brian entered his junior year in the fall of 2021. Formerly the Sports Editor of the Trinitonian, Brian helped oversee its transition to an all-digital format for the publication. The San Antonio-native is now a staple of the Tiger Network production process as a broadcaster and produces video and written content for the Trinity Athletics department.

The 2019 Alamo Heights High School graduate was a Kid Reporter for Sports Illustrated Kids starting in eighth grade through his sophomore year: a position that granted him the opportunity to attend professional sporting events as a member of the press and publish over 30 articles on the SI Kids website, sparking his interest in, and continued passion for, sports journalism.