ROUND ROCK, Texas – The eighth-ranked Trinity University baseball team finished off its 15th Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship with a thrilling 2-1 win over Concordia University (TX) at Dell Diamond on Sunday afternoon.
The Tigers (36-7) won all three games this weekend to secure the title, defeating the Tornados (33-11) in back-to-back games. This marks the second SCAC Championship in the last three years for Trinity, which also won in 2023. The Tigers opened the tournament on Friday against the University of St. Thomas (TX), losing an 8-3 lead in the ninth inning just ahead of a lightning and weather delay that washed out the first day of action. Trinity won the game 10-9 in 11 innings on Saturday morning, advancing to face Concordia later in the day. After Concordia went ahead in the top of the eighth last night, the Tigers came up with a dramatic two-RBI single to rally for the 7-6 win. Today marked the third straight late-inning win at the tournament, giving the Empire one final victory that ensures that the SCAC will never be free of its reign.
After young padawan
Will Baker (Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point) provided the game-winning hits in the first two games, today it was Master
Kai Tinker (Simi Valley, Calif. / Grace Brethren) who showed that the old Jedi still has a few tricks up his sleeve. With the game deadlocked at 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Tinker smashed a two-out RBI double to put the Tigers in front for good. It was Tinker's first hit of the day and was one of just four hits in the game for Trinity.
Brandon Nelson (Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point) had two of the team's four hits, going 2-for-4 at the plate.
Trinity's pitching staff combined for a rock-solid performance in the championship game, allowing just the one run on seven hits and striking out nine batters.
Jack Briese (Danville, Ky. / Boyle County) scattered five hits over four shutout innings to start the game, then gave way to
Will Taylor (Greenwood Village, Colo. / Cherry Creek) for the next four innings. Taylor got the win to move to 6-0 this season, recording four strikeouts and allowing one run on just one hit.
Will Hellings (Summit, N.J. / Summit) picked up his team-leading sixth save of the year with a quick ninth inning.
The Rundown
Concordia singled to start off the game, but a double play erased that early momentum in a flash. Both teams left two runners on base in the second and the pitching duel was on. Concordia got its offense going in the fifth with another leadoff single, which brought Taylor out of the bullpen to relieve Briese. An error by the Tigers put two runners on with no outs, then a sac bunt put those runners at second and third with just one out. Taylor got a huge strikeout, followed by a routine grounder to short, and the game remained scoreless.
In the bottom of the inning,
Michael Lustina (Austin, Texas / Westlake) drew a one-out walk, and
Cam Champness (Katy, Texas / Taylor) atoned for his fielding miscue in the top of the inning with a double to right that put two runners in scoring position for the top of the Trinity lineup.
Kaleb Woodward (San Pedro, Calif. / Palos Verdes Peninsula) came through with a sac fly to center to bring Lustina home for the first run of the game.
Taylor pitched around a pair of walks in the sixth to keep the Tigers in the lead, but the offense was retired in order to bring Concordia back for another shot at tying the game. This time a leadoff walk came back to bite Taylor, as a sac bunt and a fly ball to center put the runner on third base. The Tornados got a two-out hit to tie the game, injecting life into the visitors dugout.
Nelson singled and Lustina walked to start the Tiger seventh, but Concordia pitched its way out of the jam and the game remained tied. Taylor struck out a pair of hitters in the top of the eighth and thoughts of extra innings began to creep in with just nine outs left.
Nicholas Lazzara (Carrollton, Texas / Jesuit College Prep) started the bottom of the eighth with a walk that proved to be a game-changer.
Pierce Matthews (Carrollton, Texas / Hebron) came on a pinch-runner and was quickly bunted to second by cleanup hitter
Nicholas Jones (Southlake, Texas / Carroll). That brought up Baker, who had already produced late-inning heroics in the previous two games – including just last night with his two-run single to give the Tigers the win over Concordia. The Tornados likely breathed a sigh of relief when Baker was retired, but Tinker took their breath away with what proved to be the game-winning hit.
After Taylor started the leadoff hitter in the ninth with a 2-0 count, Hellings emerged from the pen for a huge save opportunity. He gave up a leadoff hit to start his outing, but catcher
Mattias Rytting (Houston, Texas / Bellaire) threw that runner out trying to steal second in hopes of putting the tying run in scoring position. Hellings got the next two batters out and the SCAC Championship run was complete as Trinity got the win and showed that May the Fourth will be with you...always.
Up Next
The Tigers receive the SCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs with today's win and will await the NCAA Selection Show in just over a week's time, which will set up matchups and location for Trinity's next games.
