SAN ANTONIO – The #16 Trinity University baseball team scored a 16-3 win over #11 Texas Lutheran University on Tuesday evening, earning a regular season split in the series between the two teams.
The Tigers (9-7) scored early and often against the Bulldogs (16-4), highlighted by a nine-run third inning that gave the home team a 15-3 lead at the time. Trinity had three home runs and two doubles on a 13-hit night, holding TLU to just three runs on seven hits. After giving up three runs in the first three innings, the Tiger pitching staff finished with four shutout innings in the run-rule win.
Khalfani Coney (Los Angeles, Calif. / Crossroads School) hit two three-run homers in the game, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs and six RBI.
Sawyer Haynes (Waco, Texas / Midway) also had a three-run homer and went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and four RBI for the Tigers.
John Ramsey (Austin, Texas / Westwood) enjoyed a three-hit night, scoring two runs and driving in two more, while
Thomas Moss (Sugar Land, Texas / Kempner) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and also drew two walks.
Pierce Matthews (Carrollton, Texas / Hebron) and
Michael Lustina (Austin, Texas / Westlake) scored two runs each and Lustina also drove in a pair of runs.
Anthony Suscha (Indianapolis, Ind. / Brebeuf Jesuit) went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI as well.
Kyle Hoggatt (San Antonio, Texas / Reagan) picked up the win in relief, pitching 3.1 shutout innings, allowing three hits, and striking out three batters.
Jack Bussard (Reisterstown, Md. / McDonogh School) finished the game with a three-up, three-down inning.
The Rundown
Moss opened the bottom of the first with a leadoff double, then Baker reached on a single to right two batters later to put runners on the corners with just one out. The Bulldogs got Lustina out after that, but Haynes came through with a two-out home run to give Trinity a lead it would never relinquish. A single and two walks loaded the bases for Texas Lutheran in the second, but the Tigers escaped with just one run allowed and still led 3-1 heading into the second. Ramsey opened with a single in the Trinity half of the second, followed by a walk to Matthews. Coney launched the second three-run home run of the night for the Tigers after that, and it was a 6-1 lead after two.
Texas Lutheran loaded the bases with one out and the Tigers nearly got away unscathed, but the Bulldogs came up with a two-out hit to cut into the lead at 6-3. Hoggatt entered the game and got the final out – thanks to a diving stop by Haynes on a line drive to second. Trinity carried the momentum of that play into the bottom of the inning and put the game out of reach by scoring nine runs on six hits. Ramsey drove in Haynes with a single early in the inning, then Matthews walked again to set up Coney for his second three-run homer to make it 10-3. Moss and
Callen Singhania (Dallas, Texas / Jesuit) followed the long ball with a pair of walks, then Lustina drove both runners in with a double two batters later to make it 12-3. Haynes then drove in Lustina to make it a 10-run game, which was followed by another hit by Suscha to put runners on the corners. Suscha then got in a rundown after he looked to be picked off at first, but when TLU tried to catch Haynes off third, the two runners both ended up with stolen bases and the Tigers had another run on the board. Ramsey ended the scoring with his second RBI single of the inning to make it a 15-3 lead for the Tigers. Trinity's bullpen gave up just three hits the rest of the game to keep the run-rule in effect. Suscha drove in Lustina in the bottom of the fifth to finish off the scoring, and the Tigers cruised to the win.
Up Next
Trinity will open Southern Athletic Association play this weekend, hosting Millsaps College (MS) for a three-game series on Friday and Saturday.
