ADRIAN, Mich. - The Trine University baseball team nearly swept 8th ranked Adrian College, falling 4-3 before using a dominant performance on the mound from junior Jake Rightnowar (Oregon, Ohio/Toledo Christian) to spark a win in game two 1-0. The split moved the Thunder to 23-15 on the year and 17-9 in the MIAA as they hold on to the number two spot.

The first game saw Trine strike first in the top of the first inning as they plated two runs to jump out to an early lead.

Senior Josh Rivera (Somonauk, Ill./Somonauk) led off the inning with a single and then stole second. He would then advance to third on a groundout by junior Matt Zurbriggen (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) and score on an RBI groundout by senior Ryan Smith (Danville, Ind./Danville).

With two outs, junior Steve Cornett (Bremen, Ind./Bremen) would reach base on a wild pitch after striking out. A double down the left field line by junior Tom Wilder (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield) would score Cornett all the way from first.

Adrian would get a run back in the bottom of the inning after a Trine error started the inning.

Trine would get the run back in the third as Rivera would again get things started. After being hit by a pitch, Rivera would advance to second on a sacrifice bunt by Zurbriggen and then third on a wild pitch. Rivera raced home on an Adrian passed ball.

The Bulldogs would get another run back in the sixth on a leadoff single that would score on a Trine error.

It came down to the final inning as the Thunder were unable to hang onto the lead. The leadoff batter reached after being hit. A one-out single scored a run and then with two-outs, Adrian would score the game-winner on an infield single.

Junior Kale Popp (Rensselaer, Ind./Kankakee Valley) started for the Thunder going 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs (neither earned) on four hits while striking out one and walking four. Sophomore Jeremy Spalding (Toledo, Ohio/Toledo Central Catholic) earned the loss allowing two earned runs on two hits in 2/3 of an inning.

Rivera led the Thunder at the plate going 2-3, and scoring twice. Smith and Wilder knocked in a run each.

Game two saw one of the most dominant pitching performances on the year from a Trine pitcher as Rightnowar threw a complete game two hit shutout to lead the Thunder to victory.

The lone run of the game came in the fourth inning for the Thunder. With one out, Zurbriggen doubled to center and advanced to third on an error. Smith would deliver a sacrifice fly to score the only run.

At the plate, Cornett was the only player for their team to collect two hits.  

Rightnowar struck out four while allowing just two hits and zero walks to improve to 5-1 on the season.

Trine will celebrate senior day on May 6 as they look to clinch the number two seed in the MIAA Tournament as they take on Adrian in the season finale beginning at 1:00 p.m.