ADRIAN, Mich. - The Trine University baseball team split their opening series with Adrian College, falling in game one 2-1 before coming back in the nightcap with a 6-4 victory. The Thunder are now 20-16 on the year and 15-9 in MIAA play.

Adrian would score both of their runs in the opener in the first inning. The Bulldogs got a pair of back-to-back singles to plate their only runs.

Trine's run would come in the sixth. Freshman Carter Stafford (Waterloo, Ind./DeKalb) led off the inning with a ground-rule double to left center. One out later it would be senior Tom Wilder (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield) with an RBI single to left.

Senior Kale Popp (Rensselaer, Ind./Kankakee Valley) took the hard-luck loss for the Thunder going 5 2/3 innings, allowing just the two earned runs on five hits while striking out five.  Fellow senior Nick Cocanower (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) came on for the final 1/3 of an inning and retired the only batter he faced.

In game two it would be the Thunder jumping out in front to start as they plated all six runs in the first two innings.

In the first, after Stafford led off the game with a single and stole second, senior Matt Zurbriggen (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) would reach on an infield single. Zurbriggen would advance to second after the shortstops wild throw allowed Stafford to score. Wilder would follow with a single and sophomore R.J. Flowers (Hamilton, Mich./Hamilton) added a single of his own. On the Flower single, the Bulldogs would commit another error allowing Zurbriggen to score. Trine would plate their final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by freshman Kory Shackle (Butler, Ohio/Mount Vernon).

In the second, junior Adam Sullivan (Fort Wayne, Ind./Elmhurst) singled to right with one out. After a walk to Stafford, Zurbriggen would deliver with another single to load the bases. Sullivan would then score on a fielder's choice to short. Flowers then reach on yet another Adrian error, which allowed Stafford to score.

Adrian would score in third and the fourth on doubles. In the fifth, the Bulldogs would plate a run on a bases loaded single.

The Bulldogs would begin to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh as they plated a run and had the tying run at the plate before Cocanower closed out the game for the Thunder win.

Senior Jake Rightnowar (Oregon, Ohio/Toledo Christian) earned the win on the mound going five innings and allowing three runs on eight hits and striking out three. Sophomore Edward Tomich (Carmel, Ind./Westfield) pitched an inning of relief, not allowing a runner to reach and striking out two. Cocanower earned his eighth save of the season, pitching the final inning, giving up an unearned run on a hit and striking out an Adrian batter.

Shackle led the Thunder on the day going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Zurbriggen and Stafford also collected a pair of hits on the evening at the plate.

The two teams will go right back at it as Trine plays host for a pair of games on May 3 beginning at 2:00 p.m.