SEGUIN, Texas – No. 19 Trinity University Baseball salvaged this weekend's Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference road series at Texas Lutheran University Sunday with a 14-5 outburst in the third and final game of weekend.
The Tigers (13-8; 4-2 SCAC) came away from Katt-Isbel Field with a one-game lead on the Bulldogs (10-12, 3-3 SCAC) thanks to a four-for-four performance from senior catcher
Tyler Pettit (Round Rock, Texas / Round Rock) as he collected four RBI, scoring twice as one of five players to log a multi-hit game.
Senior reliever
Michael Boeke (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) came home with his second victory from the mound in SCAC play this season as he came in with one out left in the fifth and TLU runners on the corners, stopping the Bulldog offense for six outs before leaving junior
Harrison Durow (Dallas, Texas / Lovejoy) to finish the job.
Juniors third baseman
Jack Baker (Sugar Land, Texas / Ridge Point) and first baseman
Korson Hastings (San Antonio, Texas / Churchill) joined Pettit as Tigers to reach safely three or more times Sunday. Baker collected three hits in five at-bats, along with a walk, to cross the plate three times; Hastings picked up a two-for-four outing with a walk, scoring once and adding a RBI.
No. 19 Trinity Baseball returns to campus to host University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Tuesday night (7:00 p.m.) for the first of a four-game homestand that features a three-game Friday-Saturday SCAC series with Centenary College (LA).
The Rundown
A groundout to third from senior leftfielder
Ezra Gore (Dallas, Texas / McKinney North) pushed home Baker to start the scoring right away in the first, though the Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the inning with another Tyler Post homer for a three-spot.
The offensive eruption came with a five-run second inning that proved to be enough for the afternoon's victory. Baker, Pettit and Gore each picked up a RBI in the inning on base hits—Pettit's being a double—while junior rightfielder
Hunter Nevilles (Corpus Christi, Texas / Calallen) and sophomore designated hitter
Nicholas Lazzara (Carrollton, Texas / Jesuit Prep) each posted a sacrifice fly in the inning.
A lead-off home run from senior shortstop
Michael Montrezza (Los Gatos, Calif. / Leigh) continued the scoring streak in the third, a streak that ended with a third single tally in the fourth on Pettit's second RBI on a one-out knock to left.
Sunday's starter, sophomore
Jackson Teer (San Antonio, Texas / Johnson) kept things afloat through the early onslaught until a Tyler Post RBI knock gave the Tiger newcomer the hook with two outs in the fifth, giving way to Boeke's call to the bullpen, 8-5 Trinity.
A double-steal in the seventh re-opened the scoring as an errant throw down to second allowed Gore to score and move Montrezza to third. Junior second baseman
Colt Harris (Katy, Texas / Houston Christian School) capitalized by driving the senior in to double TLU back up, 10-5.
After a base hit and a hit-by-pitch on Boeke's line, one more call to the arm barn brought out Durow with seven outs to go, closing the senior's line with just one hit and three strikeouts in two innings of work.
The run support continued in the eighth as Pettit relentlessly drove in Nevilles and Baker on his fourth base hit in as many at-bats. The senior catcher later scored on an error by the Bulldog shortstop, prolonging the inning for Hastings to pick up his RBI in the next at-bat, 14-5.
After a lead-off walk in the ninth, Durow slammed the door for good with back-to-back punchouts ahead of a routine groundout to Harris.
Up Next
No. 19 Trinity Baseball hosts Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.) and a three-game conference set with Centenary (Friday-Saturday) next week for a brief four-game return to the TU Baseball Field.
The Tigers will then hit the road for seven straight, making two trips to the Metroplex for a SCAC series at University of Dallas (April 7-8) and a return trip for University of Texas-Dallas (April 18) on either side of a visit to Georgetown, Texas for three bouts with Southwestern University (April 14-15).
