ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University baseball team was able to force a split in Saturday's home doubleheader with Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) opponent, Calvin University. The Thunder (12-17, 7-7 MIAA) dropped the first of two to the Knights (13-13, 6-7 MIAA) by a score of 7-3, but got one back in the second matchup, 7-2.

GAME ONE RECAP:

After a harmless top of the first for Trine starting pitcher Josh Hoogewerf [Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point], Calvin began peppering the field from all angles with base hits and broke through for four runs in the third inning.

On the other side of the diamond, the Knights pitcher was dealing and kept the Thunder without a baserunner until the bottom of the fifth when Dalton Nikirk [Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence] led off the inning with a line drive to left center field. The sophomore would advance to third, but was left on in the frame.

A leadoff double followed by a one-out single for Calvin in the seventh tacked another run on Hoogewerf's ledger and head coach Greg Perschke called for reinforcement from right-handed reliever Austin Nuessgen [Beavercreek, Ohio / Beavercreek]. Unfortunately for the home squad, the Knights would push two more around the bases to make it 7-0.

Back-to-back hits by Brenden Warner [Richland, Mich. / Hackett Catholic Prep] and Nikirk as well as a base on balls by Gary DeMartino [Beavercreek, Ohio / Owens C.C.] loaded the bases in the bottom half, but all three were stranded. The same situation occurred in the bottom of the eighth with Avery Fulford [Conifer, Colo. / Conifer], Matthew Martin [Eureka, Ill. / Eureka] and Matt Weis [Trenton, Ill. / Triad] all reached, but this time Trine was able to break through. Warner dropped a single into centerfield to score the team's first run.

Three doubles from Jackson O'Keefe [Saline, Mich. / Saline / Owens CC], Daniel Rumberger [Livonia, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central] and Adam Stefanelli [Westerville, Ohio / Westerville North] plated two in the ninth, but it was too big a deficit to overcome as the final went 7-3 in favor of Calvin.

Hoogewerf (1-4) received the loss, but ate up a good chunk of innings at 6.2 with a couple of strikeouts. Nuessgen allowed three hits and one run in 2.1 innings on the bump. Warner and Nikirk had two hits apiece.

GAME TWO RECAP:

The action was fast and furious from the start in game two of the day. The Knights scored one in the first with the help of some small ball. Patience at the plate, productive outs and some miscommunication between pitcher and catcher allowed two to come across for the Thunder. Tyler Robinson [Schaumburg, Ill. / Schaumburg] walked and Stefanelli was hit by a pitch behind him. They were bumped into scoring position by a Warner groundout on the right side of the infield and each advanced a base on a wild pitch and passed ball.

An RBI single in the second allowed Calvin to tie the game at two, but in the third, the team would throw the ball all over the infield. Four Knight errors allowed four unearned runs to score in the inning to give Trine a 6-2 lead.

Starting pitcher Kade Keele [Fort Wayne, Ind. / New Haven] found a groove and began mowing hitters down in the middle innings. Seven in a row were retired from the fourth through the seventh and the base runner that reached via a single in the inning was caught in a 6-4-3 double play next at-bat. Easton Rhodes [Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb] provided another run of insurance in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out RBI single through the sight side.

Jeff Ballard [Munster, Ind. / Munster] entered with traffic on in the eighth, but was able to escape the jam unscathed thanks to a key defensive play by Fulford at second base. The left-hander would find a bit of trouble after walking two in the ninth, but slammed the door shut with an infield fly, strikeout and flyball to centerfield.

The 7-2 win was fueled by a 2-for-4 game by Warner, with Robinson scoring three times. Keele (2-3) was credited with the win after seven innings, six hits, two runs and three punchouts.

The series with Calvin will conclude on Monday, April 25 at 4:30 pm on the road. The Thunder will take part in a home non-conference contest with Manchester University on Sunday, April 24 beginning at 1 pm.