KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Trine University baseball team needed extra innings in game one, but used a complete game 4-hitter in game two from senior Phil Stakely (Ostrander, Ohio/Buckeye Valley) to sweep Kalamazoo 6-4 and 2-1. The Thunder improve to 19-15 on the year and 14-8 in the MIAA.
In the opener, the Thunder got on the board first in the third inning before Kalamazoo struck back in the bottom half. Senior Matt Zurbriggen (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) singled home freshman Kory Shackle (Butler, Ohio/Mount Vernon) with two outs to plate the first run.
Kalamazoo would plate a run in the fourth and fifth innings as they took a 4-2 lead.
The Thunder would tie the game in the sixth on a leadoff single by freshman Carter Stafford (Waterloo, Ind./DeKalb) who later scored on an error. Zurbriggen then came around and scored on a wild pitch.
In their second extra inning game of the season, the Thunder would remain perfect as they scored three times in the extra frame. Sophomore Jordan Baer (Fort Wayne, Ind./Leo) delivered a two-out triple to plated a pair of runs. Baer would later score on a dropped fly ball.
The Hornets made things interested as they plated a run in the eighth, but senior Nick Cocanower (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) shut the door to record his seventh save of the year but allowed a run on a hit while striking out a batter. Senior Kale Popp (Rensselaer, Ind./Kankakee Valley) earned his fifth win of the year going seven innings and allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out two.
Game two was a pitcher’s duel as Stakely and the Hornets Dylan Pierce both went the distance.
Trine scored both of their runs in the third. Junior Adam Sullivan (Fort Wayne, Ind./Elmhurst) led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. Two outs later senior Tom Wilder (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield) would walk and then steal second. Baer would step in and deliver again with an infield single. Wilder would also score on the play after the Kalamazoo second baseman’s throwing error.
The lone Kalamazoo run would come in the fifth after back-to-back leadoff hits.
Stakely finished his afternoon with four strikeouts.
Trine will play their sixth game in three days as they host Kalamazoo for a pair of games on April 28 beginning at 1:00 p.m.