San Antonio, Texas – The No. 8 Trinity University baseball team was edged 6-4 in extra innings to open its Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference series against the Schreiner Mountaineers.
The Tigers (21-7, 16-3 SCAC) dropped their 8th game in 46 meetings against the Mountaineers in today's loss in extra innings. Both teams came out swinging, getting after the opposing pitchers. Trinity racked up 11 hits, while Schreiner answered with nine of their own. The game was tight throughout, with the difference coming in the top of the eleventh when a 2-RBI double gave the Mountaineers the eventual winning runs.
Jace Clay (Missouri City, Texas / Strake Jesuit) got the starting nod for the Tigers, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits with four strikeouts in six innings.
Will Hellings (Summit, N.J. / Summit) pitched from the seventh through the eleventh, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out a season-high six batters. Despite owning two wins and a team-high four saves this season, he will take his first loss of the year with this defeat.
Khalfani Coney (Los Angeles, Calif. / Crossroads School) led the offense with a two-hit evening, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Nicholas Jones (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) also recorded two hits, while
Maddox McDonald (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) reached base twice, notched a hit, and collected 2 RBI.
The Rundown
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the third, the Tigers responded immediately. Coney sparked the rally with a single up the middle, and after
Cam Champness (Katy, Texas / Taylor) drew a walk,
Kaleb Woodward (San Pedro, Calif. / Palos Verdes) delivered an RBI single to tie the game. Moments later, McDonald smashed a double to right-center, scoring both Champness and Woodward to give Trinity a 3-1 lead.
The Tigers added another run in the fourth.
Kai Tinker (Simi Valley, Calif. / Grace Brethren) singled and advanced on another hit from Coney, setting up Champness for a sacrifice fly that brought Tinker home and made it 4-1.
Trinity's offense cooled after that, but they continued to get runners aboard.
Brandon Nelson (Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point) doubled in the sixth, and Jones picked up a pair of hits in the game. In the later innings,
Will Baker (Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point) added a clutch double in the ninth.
The Tigers struggled to bring home runners in scoring position, leaving 11 runners on base and failing to get a hit all game in two-out situations. The ultimate blow came in the 11th inning when a 2-RBI double gave the Mountaineers a 6-4 lead. There was hope for the Tigers in the bottom of the 11th after two walks and a single by
Grant Anderson (Austin, Texas / Vista Ridge) loaded the bases. But, in what felt like the theme of the day, the Tigers couldn't capitalize, and the runners were left stranded for the final time.
Up Next
Trinity will be back in action tomorrow for game two of the series against Schreiner University, with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
