ANGOLA, Ind. - It was a hard fought day for the Trine University baseball team as they split their doubleheader with conference opponent Alma College, winning game one 4-1 and then dropping game two 6-4. The split moves the Thunder to 11-11 on the season and 5-5 in the MIAA.
Trine sprinted out to a lead in game one as they pushed across three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Josh Rivera (Somonauk, Ill./Somonauk) led off the inning with a single to right center, then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Rivera would be out on a play at the plate, as senior Ryan Smith (Danville, Ind./Danville) reached on the play.
With two outs, junior Steve Cornett (Bremen, Ind./Bremen) singled to right and fellow junior Zach Ebersole (Eldorado, Ohio/National Trail) delivered a base clearing double to left center. Ebersole would come around to score after a single to left by senior Brian Hoeper (Angola, Ind./Angola) and a two-base error by the Alma left fielder.
Alma would score their only run in the second after a leadoff single followed by a double.
Trine would tack on another run in their final inning at the plate. After junior Matt Zurbriggen (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) reached on another Scots error, Smith would lay down a sacrifice bunt. Freshman Braxton Siddons (Churubusco, Ind./Churubusco) would step in and deliver a single up the middle to score Zurbriggen from second.
Five different Trine players recorded a hit, and four different players scored a run. Ebersole led the team with two RBIs for the game.
Senior Mike Sentman (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) got the start on the hill for the Thunder, earning the win going five innings while allowing just one earned run on seven hits and striking out three. Freshman Jordan Baer (Fort Wayne, Ind./Leo) came on in relief pitching 1 and 1/3 innings, not allowing a hit while getting three strikeouts. Sophomore Jeremy Spalding came on the pitch the final 2/3 of an inning while earning a strikeout.
Game two didn’t start quite as well for the Thunder as Alma plated two runs in the top of the first. The Scots would score on back-to-back one-out singles and then later on a Trine error.
Trine would get a run back in the second as senior Nick Beitler (Canton, Ohio/Glen Oak) singled to left with two outs and advanced to second on a throwing error by Alma. Beitler would advance to third on a ball four, wild pitch to Hoeper and then score on a passed ball.
The Scots would pull away in the third as they scored three runs in the inning on just one hit, aided by four Thunder errors.
The Thunder would get another one back in the fifth as Rivera was hit by a pitch with one out. After a bunt single by Zurbriggen, Smith hit a long single to the left field wall to score Rivera.
Alma would once again counter, scoring another run in the sixth started by a leadoff single and followed by another single with one out.
Trine would get a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the inning as Baer led off the inning with a walk. After the next two batters made outs, the Thunder would begin to rally. Senior Brandon Nothnagel (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) came in to pinch hit and reached on an error by the Scots shortstop allowing freshman Jeff Phillips (Prospect, Ohio/Marion Pleasant), who pinch ran for Baer, to score. Rivera would strike out on a pitch in the dirt, but would reach first when the catchers throw would pull the Alma first baseman off the bag.
Zurbriggen would be hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Smith would step in a deliver a hard groundball to the Alma first baseman who made the third error of the inning for the Scots, allowing pinch runner, sophomore Adam Sullivan (Fort Wayne, Ind./Elmhurst), to score.
Trine would get a runner on in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, but the Scots left fielder would make a diving catch on a rope by Hoeper to end the game.
Smith led the Thunder at the dish in the second game with two hits while collecting the lone Thunder RBI in the game. Beitler, Ebersole and Zurbriggen each delivered a hit for Trine.
On the mound for the Thunder junior Kale Popp (Rennsselaer, Ind./Kankakee Valley) made the start, going five innings while allowing six runs (two earned) while scattering six hits and striking out two. Fellow junior Nick Cocanower (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) came on to pitch the final two innings, allowing just one hit while getting three strikeouts.
The two teams will go right back at it as they will face off in Alma tomorrow for a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader.