ANGOLA, Ind. - It what little kids dream about playing baseball in the backyard, everything being on the line in last inning. That is exactly the situation that sophomore closer Jeremy Spaulding (Toledo, Ohio/Toledo Central Catholic) was put in against conference champion Adrian College. With the bases loaded, two outs and a full count on the batter, Spaulding delivered for Trine getting the Bulldogs batter to fly out, ending the game and securing the number two seed for the Thunder. The win means Trine finishes second in the conference for the first time ever, and will host an MIAA Tournament game on May 9.
Things didn’t look good for the Thunder (24-16, 18-10), as Adrian rattled off five straight hits to start the game as they plated three runs in the inning.
Trine was able get a run back in the bottom of the inning as senior Josh Rivera (Somonauk, Ill./Somonauk) was hit on the very first pitch of the inning, but would then be caught stealing. Junior Matt Zurbriggen (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) would then single to right before senior Ryan Smith (Danville, Ind./Danville) was then also hit by a pitch. After a fielder’s choice moved Zurbriggen to third, he would score on a failed pickoff attempt that resulted in an Adrian error.
Both teams would score a run in the third. The Thunder tallied their run on back-to-back singles by Zurbriggen and Smith to start the inning. Senior Craig Rinkes (Medina, Ohio/Medina) singled to center with one out to bring in the run.
Adrian plated two more in the top of the fifth, with two outs.
Trine would get a run back in the sixth, but they would be unable to get a runner on base in the seventh. The run for the Thunder came after consecutive singles to start the inning was followed by a double play that allowed the run to score.
Freshman starter Braxton Siddons (Churubusco, Ind./Churubusco) lasted just 2/3 of an inning, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out a batter. Senior Chas Amadeo (Syracuse, Ind./Wawasee) came on to pitch 1 2/3 innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits and two strikeouts. Junior Phil Stakely (Ostrander, Ohio/Buckeye Valley) pitched 2 2/3 innings giving up three hits and two earned runs while striking out a batter. Fellow junior Nick Cocanower (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) pitched the final two innings, giving up just two hits and striking out three while not allowing a run to score.
Four different Trine players collected two hits in the game; Zurbriggen, Smith, Rinkes and sophomore Andrew DeGood (Hamilton, Mich./Hamilton) each had two hits. Zurbriggen score twice while Rinkes had the only RBI for the Thunder.
In game two the Thunder would score the only run of the game in the bottom of the third. With one out, senior Brian Hoeper (Angola, Ind./Angola) singled. Hoeper would then advance all the way to third when an Adrian failed pickoff attempt wound up in right field. With the infield drawn in, a hard groundball by freshman Ethan Prebynski (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) was unable to be gathered by the Adrian shortstop, Hoeper who had taken off on the hit, scored easily.
Adrian had several opportunities to score, but the Thunder pitching staff held strong. In the top of the seventh, Adrian would load the bases. The Bulldogs got two bunt base hits to start the inning. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Spalding got the next batter to pop out to the shortstop and retired the final batter to fly out to right to end the game.
Senior Mike Sentman (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) pitched a stellar game for the Thunder, going 5 1/3 innings, allowing five hits while striking out five. Cocanower came on to retire the two batters he faced in the sixth. Spaulding earned the save, his 10th of the season which ties him for the national lead.
Trine managed just two hits in the game, coming from DeGood and Prebynski, but that was all they needed to get the victory.
The series split with Adrian marks the first time the Thunder have taken more than one game from Adrian in a season. After Trine shutout the Bulldogs on Friday, today’s shutout marks just the third time that Adrian has been shutout in almost three full seasons, the other came against Hope.
The Thunder will now host Hope College in the first round of the MIAA Tournament on May 9 at 4:00 p.m. All of the MIAA Tournament games will be nine innings, with the first round being played at the top two seeds, before the final two days will be played at top seeded Adrian.