IRVING, Texas – The No. 7 Trinity University baseball team clinched its Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference series over the University of Dallas (TX) with a commanding 13-1 victory on Sunday afternoon.
The Tigers (21-6, 16-2 SCAC) split the first two matches with Dallas on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers lost the opening match of the series 12-9; however, they bounced back immediately to collect a dominant 11-0 victory in the second game of the doubleheader. Starting pitcher
Trajan Lee (Dallas, Texas / John Paul II) went the distance while only allowing one hit all game. With today's win, the Tigers now hold 47 victories in 53 meetings against the Crusaders. Trinity got after the Dallas pitchers for eight hits in the game, while the Tiger pitchers allowed just one run (unearned) on three hits. The Tigers were aided by the Dallas pitching staff, which struggled to find the zone all afternoon, giving out 18 walks in seven innings. Trinity put the game out of reach with nine total runs in the first four innings.
Brandon Morio (Austin, Texas / McNeil) got the starting nod for the Tigers, allowing no runs on two hits in 4.0 innings of work. Morio's dominant performance included four strikeouts and only two walks on 18 batters faced. With the win, Morio improved to 3-0 this season.
Nicholas Lazzara (Carrollton, Texas / Jesuit College Prep) paced the offense with a two-hit afternoon, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI for the Tigers.
Kaleb Woodward (San Pedro, Calif. / Palos Verdes Peninsula) reached base four times in the game, going 1-for-1 with three walks, scoring three runs and recording an RBI.
Kai Tinker (Simi Valley, Calif / Grace Brethren) went 1-for-2, reached base twice, scored two runs, and collected 3 RBI.
The Rundown
Trinity capitalized on early errors from the Crusaders as they walked the first three Tiger batters.
Nicholas Jones (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) brought in the first run of the game on a double play that allowed Woodward to score. Morio picked up his first strikeout of the afternoon as the Tigers finished the first inning up 1-0.
The second inning began in similar fashion to the first for the Crusaders, walking the first two Tiger batters. A single from
Michael Lustina (Austin, Texas / Westlake) put
Will Baker (Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point) and Tinker into scoring position. A sacrifice fly by
Cam Champness (Katy, Texas / Taylor) allowed Tinker to come home from third. Two more walks for the Tigers meant that Baker would score for the Tigers, giving
Maddox McDonald (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) an RBI and a free trip to first. Lustina completed the scoring for the Tigers in the second inning as Lazzara grounded out to second base. Morio continued his momentum from the first as he struck out another batter in the bottom of the second.
The fourth inning saw Trinity take control of the game with six runs on five hits. After Champness walked from the leadoff spot, Woodward doubled to right-center to bring Champness home. Woodward advanced to third on a wild pitch which was then followed by a Lazzara RBI single to center. The fun didn't stop there. A balk after a Jones single meant that the Tigers yet again had runners in scoring position.
Brandon Nelson (Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point) walked to load the bases for the Tigers and then Tinker delivered a three-RBI double to clear the bases. Lustina capitalized on the Tigers' hot bats with an RBI single through the right side. Morio retired the side in a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two of three Crusader batters.
In the top of the fifth, a single from Lazzara and another pair of walks for the Crusader pitching staff meant that the bases were full of Tigers once again. A two-RBI double for Nelson gave a pair of insurance runs for the Tigers. A pitching change for the Tigers ended the impressive day for Morio, making way for sophomore
Wes Hellings (Summit, N.J. / Summit). Hellings struck out his first batter before giving up a walk and a wild pitch to allow two Crusaders on the basepaths. A double to left field meant that the Crusaders would bring home their only run of the day, coming unearned. Lazzara's quick thinking behind the dish was able to catch a Crusader off the base at third with a pickoff. A ground out to shortstop meant Hellings finished his first inning of work allowing just one run (unearned) on one hit.
The Crusaders, who struggled with control all afternoon, issued back-to-back walks to open the sixth inning and another balk put both runners into scoring position.
Max Milligan (Amarillo, Texas / Amarillo) picked up a pinch-hit RBI to bring in the final score of the game and give Trinity a 13-1 lead.
Jack Bussard (Reisterstown, Md. McDonogh School) came into the game for Hellings, striking out a batter and allowing no hits. A quiet top of the seventh for the Tigers meant that
Will Hellings (Summit, N.J. / Summit), who came in to close things out, was only three Crusaders away from the victory. In typical fashion, Hellings completed the day for the Tigers, striking out one batter before collecting a ground out himself to seal the series for the Tigers.
Up Next
Trinity will return home this weekend for another three-game SCAC series, facing off against Schreiner University (TX). The series begins on Friday, April 4, at 7:00 p.m., then the teams play at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, and then again on Sunday, April 6 at noon.
