ANGOLA, Ind.-- The Trine baseball team swept Kalamazoo to send its senior class out victorious in the final home games at Jannen Field.
The Thunder rode the left arm of Andy Farrell (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/St. Vincent St. Mary) and some timely hitting to a 3-2 victory in a pitcher's duel in game one. Jacob Thoma (Granger, Ind./Penn) worked the complete game, while the Trine bats came through in two innings to earn the 5-2 victory. Senior Jordan Baer (Fort Wayne, Ind./Leo) homered and knocked in two runs in game two. Trine improved to 16-22 overall and 11-15 in MIAA play. Kalamazoo fell to 20-18 overall, 15-11 in conference play.
Trine seniors Baer, Ethan Prebynski (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb), R.J. Flowers (Hamilton, Mich./Hamilton), Eddie Tomich (Carmel, Ind./Westfield) and Kyle Auernhamer (Vassar, Mich./Vassar) were sent home with a sweep in the final games of their careers at Jannen Field.
Game One: Trine 3, Kalamazoo 2
Farrell's complete game, combined with some big performances at the plate in key spots paced the Thunder to the opening victory.
The Hornets drew first blood, as the first three Kalamazoo batters reached in the first. Carter Chandler hit a sac fly to score one. Travis Bandt (Gaylord, Mich./Gaylord) then made a huge play defensively, hauling in a foul ball and gunning down a runner trying to score to keep the Kalamazoo lead at 1-0.
The game remained that way until the fifth, when Zach Thorn (Portage, Ind./Portage) led off with a double. After a strikeout, Auernhamer doubled to left to tie the score.
An infield single by Prebynski put runners at the corners with two out. The Hornets then failed to execute a pick-off, as Auernhamer was able to race home to put Trine up 2-1.
A sac fly by Scott Devine tied the score in the top of the sixth, but the Thunder had the answer in the bottom of the frame. Drew Palmer (Hartford, Wisc./Hartford Union) led off with a double and advanced to third on Baer's sac bunt. Thorn then hit a fly ball deep enough to score Palmer from third with what would prove to be the winning run.
Farrell went 6.2 innings, scattering four hits and allowing two earned runs. The sophomore walked one and struck out three. He concludes his season with a 4-4 record.
Jake Weimer (Pittsboro, Ind./Brownsburg) came in to nail down the final out and get the save.
Game Two: Trine 5, Kalamazoo 2
The Thunder fought back from an early two-run deficit with two big innings to earn the sweep.
Joey Aliotta got the Hornets on the board with an RBI-single in the first. Ian Kobernick added an RBI-single in the second.
Another double by Palmer set the stage for Baer in the third, and the senior responded with a two-run blast to right-center to knot the score. The homer was Baer's career-high third of the season and sixth of his career. Baer is tied for fourth in the Division-III era (2005-present) at Trine in home runs.
Palmer's double gave him 13 on the season- the second-most at Trine since 2005.
The game would stay knotted at two until the Thunder once again rallied in the sixth. Baer got hit with a pitch and advanced to third before the two-out rally began. Auernhamer singled in Baer to put Trine ahead, 3-2.
Kory Shackle (Butler, Ohio/Mount Vernon) added to his school-record with his fifth triple of the year, as Auernhamer scored from first. Shackle also became Trine's all-time leader in triples in the Division-III era with the hit. The junior has five career three-baggers.
Prebynski got into the act with a single to left to cap the scoring and give the Thunder a 5-2 advantage.
Thoma went the full seven innings, allowing an earned run on six hits, walking one and striking out one. The freshman once again pounded the lower half of the strike zone, getting 14 ground ball outs. Thoma finished the season 3-2 and threw complete games in three of his four starting assignments.
The two teams will wrap up the MIAA series tomorrow, as the Thunder close out the season. First pitch at Kalamazoo is set for 1 p.m.