HOLLAND, Mich. - The Trine University baseball squad earned their second series split with Hope College winning the opener 7-4 before falling in extra inning of game two 3-2. The Thunder knocked the Flying Dutchmen out of sole possession of first place in the MIAA and the Thunder moved into a tie for third while pushing their record to 13-12 on the season and 9-7 in the conference.
Trine fell behind early as Hope scored a pair of runs in the first on a home run and added another run in the second.
The Thunder would explode for five runs in the fourth inning. Trine would get a run on a bases loaded single by junior Adam Sullivan (Fort Wayne, Ind./Elmhurst). Freshman Carter Stafford (Waterloo, Ind./DeKalb) would follow with a two-run single and sophomore Ethan Prebynski (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) made it three-in-a-row with an RBI single. Trine would get their final run as Stafford scored after Hope threw out Prebynski trying to steal second.
Trine followed with two more runs in the fifth. Sophomore R.J. Flowers (Hamilton, Mich./Hamilton) would drive in a run on a sacrifice fly to left. The Thunder would get another run off a single from freshman Kory Shackle (Butler, Ohio/Mount Vernon) that allowed senior Matt Zurbriggen (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) to score on the subsequent throw.
Hope would add a run in the seventh but the Thunder lead was too much.
Senior Phil Stakely (Ostrander, Ohio/Buckeye Valley) earned his third win of the season going 6 2/3 innings allowing all four runs while striking out six Dutchmen. Fellow senior Nick Cocanower (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) came on to record the final out, but allowed a hit.
The Thunder would strike first in game two as they plated a pair of runs in the first. Senior Tom Wilder (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield) would smash a double to score Stafford from second. Sophomore Jordan Baer (Fort Wayne, Ind./Leo) would then deliver a single to score Wilder.
Hope tied the game in the third, scoring both runs with two outs. They would score the game-winner in the eighth inning, again coming with two outs on a single.
Cocanower suffered his first loss of the season going 1 2/3 innings of relief allowing a run on two hits and a strikeout. Senior Kale Popp (Rensselaer, Ind./Kankakee Valley) took the no decision, lasting six inning and giving up two runs on seven hits and three strikeouts.
Wilder and Prebynski led the Thunder at the dish on the day as they both collected three hits. Sullivan, Stafford, Zurbriggen and Shackle all had a pair of hits on the day. Stafford and Zurbriggen also scored twice while Stafford was the only Trine player to drive in a pair of runs.
Trine returns to action on April 19 when they host Olivet for a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m.