ADRIAN, Mich. - For the first time in over a month, the Trine University baseball team suffered two losses in the same day, but this time it ended their season as they were eliminated from the MIAA Baseball tournament. Trine fell 9-4 to Adrian in the morning and then 3-1 to Hope in the afternoon elimination game. The Thunder end their season with a school record 25 wins.
Game one saw the Thunder battle back from an early deficit as Adrian scored two in the third and two in the fifth.
Trine would score three in the bottom of the fifth started by back-to-back leadoff singles by junior Tom Wilder (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield) and Brian Hoeper (Angola, Ind./Angola). With one out, pinch hitter senior Brandon Nothnagel (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) singled to score Wilder. Hoeper would score on a passed ball and then freshman Ethan Prebynski (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) scored on a single up the middle by senior Josh Rivera (Somonauk, Ill./Somonauk).
Trine would tie the game in the sixth as Wilder singled with one out. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Hoeper singled to right center to score Wilder.
Adrian would break the game open in the eighth, scoring five runs all with two outs.
Junior Jake Rightnowar (Oregon, Ohio/Toledo Christian) went 7 2/3 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on 11 hits while striking out three. Senior Chad Amadeo (Syracuse, Ind./Wawasee) allowed three unearned runs on two hits without recording an out. Fellow senior Phil Cappelletty (Tipton, Mich./Adrian) allowed an unearned run in the final 1 1/3 innings while giving up just one hit.
It was a tough game two for the Thunder as they faced the MIAA Pitcher of the Year in Adam Clements of Hope. Trine’s lone run of the game came late in the seventh inning. Wilder led off the inning with a single to center. Hoeper then walked and after a sacrifice bunt moved both runners up, senior Craig Rinkes (Medina, Ohio/Medina) scored Wilder on a groundout.
Hope plated all three runs in the fourth inning, all coming with one out.
Freshman Braxton Siddons (Churubusco, Ind./Churubusco) pitched six innings, giving up three unearned runs on two hits while striking out three. Junior Nick Cocanower (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) came on to pitch the final two innings allowing just one hit.
On the day, Hoeper led the Thunder going 3-6 with an RBI and a run scored. Wilder collected three hits and scored three times. Senior Ryan Smith (Danville, Ind./Danville) was the only other Trine player to collect multiple hits, reaching base twice.