ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University baseball team dropped the opening game of a three-game set with Alma College on Friday afternoon by a score of 8-5.

The Thunder drop to 10-14 overall and 5-4 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play. The Scots are now 7-19 on the season and 4-5 in league action.

Alma drew first blood by scoring three runs with two away in the top of the first inning. Scoring came about on a two-run homerun and RBI single through the left side of the infield. Avery Fulford [ Conifer, Colo. / Conifer] singled and advanced all the way to third, but was left on in the bottom half of the frame.

Starting pitcher Josh Hoogewerf [Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point] settled in after a rough patch and threw up zeros in the second, third and fourth innings. The Thunder got one back by loading the bases in the bottom of the second with the help of two singles by Easton Rhodes [Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb] and Matt Weis [Trenton, Ill. / Triad] and an RBI groundout by Tyler Robinson [Schaumburg, Ill. / Schaumburg].

Alma was able to widen the gap with two more runs in the fifth, but Trine answered with a run in the inning as well off the bat of Brenden Warner [Richland, Mich. / Hackett Catholic Prep]. The senior made it 5-2 in favor of the visitors.

The sixth brought more trouble as the Scots secured another three-spot with three hits, two errors and a hit by pitch. Pinch hitter Jackson O'Keefe [Saline, Mich. / Saline / Owens CC] was able to provide a spark on offense in the bottom of the sixth. He, Robinson and Fulford all singled to put traffic on the basepaths and an error and sacrifice fly by Warner plated two to make it 8-4.

Cory Erbskorn [Archbold, Ohio / Archbold] batted in the eighth in an effort for a comeback and knocked in Warner to get to within three, but unfortunately there wasn't enough thunder in the bats to climb all the way out of the hole.

On the rubber, Hoogewerf was hit with the loss (1-3) but had 5.0 innings and three strikeouts. Cole Decker [Leonidas, Mich. / Mendon / Glen Oaks] threw three plus innings of relief work and Austin Nuessgen [Beavercreek, Ohio / Beavercreek] threw a zero in the ninth after entering with a mess.

12 hits were scattered over nine hitters in the game for the Thunder, with Fulford, Warner and Rhodes collecting multiple hits.

The series continues on Saturday, April 16 at Alma for games two and three beginning at 1 pm.