ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University Baseball team dropped a double header to Kalamazoo on Saturday, falling 12-7 in game one and 8-7 in game two. The Thunder are now 9-23 (3-12 MIAA) and the Hornets move to 20-11 (7-8 MIAA).
Kalamazoo took a 10-0 lead in the sixth inning, putting up seven in the sixth and putting the Thunder in a do-or-die situation heading to the seventh. Trine did just that and answered with five runs. Kalamazoo gave two free bases on a walk and a hit batter.
Cole Temple stepped up to the plate and drove in three with a long ball to straightaway center field. The Hornets recorded two outs to keep the pressure on.
Luke Burford nearly added another homer with a double that hit the bottom of the left center field wall and scored
Cole Schmidthuber. In the next at bat,
Brody Bond grounded to the shortstop who misjudged the ball and it rolled to center field, Burford scored to cut the 10-0 Hornet lead in half. Kalamazoo scored two more in the eighth to stretch the lead to 12-5.
William Taczak kept the Thunder alive with a 2 RBI bases loaded single to cut the deficit to 12-7. Trine was unable to complete the comeback and ultimately fell in game one.
The bats stayed hot to open game two, Trine collected five hits in the second inning and scored four runs to take a 4-1 lead.
Dane DuBois doubled to drive in
Preston Henschen and
Nathan Gilmet. Burford singled to score DuBois, and Taczak hit an RBI single in the next at bat to plate Schmidthuber. Taczak finished game two with four hits in five at bats. Kalamazoo closed the gap in the third to 4-3 but
Will Gimbel got out of a jam with the go-ahead run at the plate to close out the inning. Kalamazoo tied things in the fifth and scored four in the sixth to take an 8-4 lead. Trine provided an answer in the bottom half with a
Cole Schmidthuber RBI single to score
Cole Temple.
The Thunder defense retired the seventh inning visitor's side in order to stay in striking distance.
Dylan Jenkins was spectacular over the final four innings, allowing no hits or runs and just one base runner. The offense scored two more as they continued to chip away at the lead. Henschen singled to score Taczak and Temple reached on a fielder's choice that scored
Joel Walton. The Thunder defense was again up to the task in the top of the eighth turning a 6-4-3 double play and making the play in right field to end the inning. Unable to score in the bottom of the eighth, the defense was once again called upon and delivered, retiring the ninth inning side in order. The Hornet defense again shut down the Thunder and ended the game 8-7.
Trine heads to Parkview Field on Tuesday for a non-conference game against Manchester.
