DANVILLE, Ky. – The Trinity University baseball team was edged by Centre College (KY) 8-7 in the opening game of this weekend's Southern Athletic Association series.
The Tigers (22-16, 13-6 SAA) and the Colonels (26-12, 10-9) combined for six runs in the final two innings in tonight's series opener. Trinity led 4-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth, but Centre tied the game with three runs in the home frame. The Tigers bounced back with a run in the seventh to regain the lead, only to see Centre take its first lead of the night with a three-run eighth inning. Trinity scored twice in the ninth to tie things up 7-7 but Centre was able to bring in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the inning.
Despite the loss, Trinity remains in the lead atop the SAA standings by a slim margin ahead of Rhodes College (TN). The Tigers can clinch the SAA Regular Season Championship by winning the next two games of the series, or with one win and another loss by Rhodes.
Will Hellings (Summit, N.J. / Summit) took the loss and fell to 4-4 this season, allowing five runs on five hits in 3.2 innings out of the bullpen, and was also plagued by five walks and the hit-by-pitch that ended the game.
Brandon Morio (Austin, Texas / McNeil) got the starting nod for the Tigers, allowing three runs on five hits over 5.0 innings of work.
Kaleb Woodward (San Pedro, Calif. / Palos Verdes Peninsula),
Thomas Moss (Sugar Land, Texas / Kempner),
Will Baker (Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point), and
Michael Lustina (Austin, Texas / Westlake) combined for nine of the team's 13 hits in the game tonight. Lustina went 3-for-4 with two doubles, while the other three had two hits each. Woodward scored twice, going 2-for-5 with a double and a home run. Moss added three runs scored to his multi-hit night, while Baker was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer early in the game.
The Rundown
After both teams were blanked in the first two innings, Trinity got on the board with a two-out rally in the third. Moss singled with two outs on an 0-2 count, then Baker knocked a two-run home run over the wall in right field to make it a 2-0 lead for the Tigers. Centre answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead in half, but Lustina hit his second double in as many at-bats to get Trinity going again in the fourth.
Nicholas Jones (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) drove in Lustina to make it 3-1. Woodward led off the fifth with a solo homer to make it a 4-1 lead, then Morio got Centre to ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning.
The Tigers left two runners on base in the top of the sixth and the Colonels made them pay in the bottom half. After giving up hits to the first two batters, Hellings came on in relief of Morio, but Centre was still able to plate three runs to tie the game at 4-4. Moss and Baker singled to start the Trinity seventh, which eventually led to a sac fly from
Grant Anderson (Austin, Texas / Vista Ridge) that put the Tigers back in front 5-4. Centre drew a walk with one out in the seventh, then a sac bunt and a single tied the game. The home team wasn't finished, though, following that with a two-run homer to take the lead heading into the ninth.
Trinity rallied in the top of the inning, beginning with a leadoff double from Woodward. He scored on an error that also put the tying run at second. Anderson walked to put two runners on, but Centre also sandwiched two outs around the free pass. Lustina came through with a clutch two-out single to center to tie the game but the Tigers were unable to grab the lead. The Colonels drew two walks to start the final frame, but a fielder's choice and a pop-up followed, and the Tigers looked like they might keep the game going. Instead, Centre drew another walk to load the bases and Hellings hit the next batter to send in the game-winning run.
Up Next
Trinity and Centre will finish the series with a Saturday afternoon doubleheader, beginning at 11:00 a.m. (ET).
