SAN ANTONIO – The eighth-ranked Trinity University baseball team bounced back from a disappointing loss in yesterday's Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference series opener with a resounding 15-5 run-rule victory over Schreiner University (TX) on Saturday evening.
The Tigers (22-7, 17-3 SCAC) hammered out seven home runs in the game and put the game out of reach with a 10-run fifth inning against the Mountaineers (9-20, 7-16 SCAC), evening things up with one win each heading into tomorrow's series finale. Schreiner pulled out a 6-4 win in 11 innings on Friday night, following a lightning delay of more than two hours, and nearly spilling into the midnight hour.
Trinity held the early lead with four runs in the first two innings, but Schreiner battled back with a five-run fourth inning that had the visitors believing they could win again against the nationally-ranked Tigers. Instead, Trinity hit four of its seven home runs in the bottom of the fifth inning alone – two of which came off the bat of senior
Nicholas Lazzara (Carrollton, Texas / Jesuit College Prep).
Lazzara was in the middle of a deadly heart-of-the-order for the Tigers, as the 2-3-4 batters in the lineup combined for nine hits (five of which were home runs), 10 RBI, and seven runs scored. Lazzara was 3-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and the two long balls. Just in front of him in the order,
Maddox McDonald (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, four RBI, and a home run. The cleanup hitter did just that as
Will Baker (Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point) crushed two round-trippers as part of a 3-for-4 day that saw him score two runs and collect three RBI.
Cam Champness (Katy, Texas / Taylor) and
Michael Lustina (Austin, Texas / Westlake) contributed two hits each, with Lustina,
Mattias Rytting (Houston, Texas / Bellaire), and
Nicholas Jones (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) scoring two runs each.
On the mound, Trinity needed just two pitchers to nail down the win.
Trajan Lee (Dallas, Texas / John Paul II) got the start and lasted into the fourth inning, striking out four batters and allowing five runs – though just three of those were earned.
Will Taylor (Greenwood Village, Colo. / Cherry Creek) came in and pitched the final 3.1 innings to earn the win and improve to 2-0 this season. He held Schreiner hitless over that stretch, walking just one batter and recording five strikeouts.
The Rundown
Lee had a little bit of a rough start to the game as Schreiner was hit by a pitch on the third offering of the day, then proceeded to load the bases with two singles and a fielder's choice. Another ground ball turned into an inning-ending double play, though, and that was all the momentum the offense needed. The Tigers got going quickly with three runs on – you guessed it – a pair of home runs in the bottom of the inning, but that didn't come as easy as it sounds. The first two batters got out, but Lazzara slammed a shot that got through a diving first baseman for an inning-saving infield single. Three pitches later, Baker went deep to right for a 2-0 Tiger lead. Jones made it back-to-back homers for Trinity as he left the yard in right center.
After a 1-2-3 second inning for Schreiner, Lustina led off the Trinity second with a solo shot that gave the Tigers three home runs in a stretch of four batters, and a 4-0 lead. Schreiner stranded a couple of runners in the third before keeping Trinity off the board for the first time in the game to keep the score within reach. Schreiner followed a leadoff walk with two singles, but Lee looked like he might get out of the jam after striking out the next two batters with the bases loaded. Unfortunately, what came next was a walk and an infield single to cut the lead in half, then a balk and an error put Schreiner in the lead 5-4. Taylor came in and got the final out of the inning in just three pitches to keep the deficit at just one run.
Lustina doubled to start the bottom of the inning, but he was stranded and the visitors remained in control. That is, until the fifth inning rolled around. Taylor needed just 10 pitches to get through his first full inning of work and the offense paid him back in a big way by taking full control of the game. McDonald had a single and a stolen base to get things going, then Lazzara put Trinity in front for good with a two-run homer to make it 6-5. Baker followed with his second home run of the day, which was also the second time Trinity had gone back-to-back – but stay close, it wouldn't be the last. With two on and one out, Rytting kept the scoring going with an RBI single that made it 8-5.
Kai Tinker (Simi Valley, Calif. / Grace Brethren) laid down Trinity's second bunt single of the day, though this time it drove in another Tiger run.
Kaleb Woodward (San Pedro, Calif. / Palos Verdes Peninsula) added another hit to Trinity's prolific inning with another infield single to push the margin to 10-5. McDonald then came up again and wound up with a unique inning at the plate. He started with a bunt single to lead things off, but this time it was a three-run homer that extended the lead even more. Remember how it wasn't the last time Trinity would go back-to-back? Well, this time it was Lazzara to do the back-to-back thing, while also producing an even more unique inning that included two home runs in one frame and a 14-5 Tiger lead.
Taylor was unfazed by the long inning and had another 1-2-3 inning that included two strikeouts. He retired the first eight batters he faced before allowing a walk in the seventh. That was after McDonald drove in a key run in the previous half-inning to set up the run-rule with a 15-5 lead. How did Taylor respond to allowing his first base runner? He promptly struck out the next two hitters and slammed the door shut on what turned out to be a dominating win for the Tigers.
Up Next
Trinity and Schreiner will conclude the three-game series with the rubber match tomorrow afternoon, which is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m.
