GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—The Trine baseball team opened its Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association slate on Friday afternoon splitting a doubleheader at Calvin.
Calvin's Jonathan Keane hit a solo homerun in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Knights the win, 4-3, in the seven-inning game one.
The Thunder bounced back in game two to pick up a 7-3 victory. Trine bats came alive in the first inning to take a 5-1 edge that would hold throughout the game.
Trine improves to 7-4 overall this season and 1-1 MIAA. The Knights move to 5-7 and 1-1 MIAA.
Jacob Heller (Fort Wayne, Ind./Prairie Heights) led the Thunder offense with four hits on the day. Dylan Hutchison (Montpelier, Ohio/North Central) earned his second win of the season in game two coming out of the bullpen to pitch three innings. He held the Knights hitless, striking out one and walking two.
GAME ONE: Calvin 4, Trine 3
With two outs in the top of the first, Drew Palmer (Hartford, Wisc./Hartford Union) launched a double to right field to increase his hitting streak to nine games. Jake LaBounty (Avon, Ind./Covenant Christian) drove him in with a single up the middle to give the Thunder an early one run lead.
The Knights answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs off three hits.
In the second, Kevin O'Malley (Commerce Township, Mich./Walled Lake) led off with a single to right field. The Knights' Clay Francisco hit the next two Thunder batters to load the bases. Colton Conn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill) hit into a double play, but not before driving in O'Malley to grab back the lead. A double by Zach Schulte (Sterling Heights, Mich./Warren Cousino) to the left side of centerfield drove in another run to put the Thunder up 3-1.
Colton Wolfe hit a solo homerun over right centerfield fence in the bottom of the third to tie the game up for the Knights. Keane's solo homer in the bottom of the fifth proved to be the game winner for Calvin.
Each team totaled nine hits in the seven innings and were perfect in the field.
LaBounty went 3-for-4 at the plate driving in one run. Palmer and Heller each had two hits. Ben Wheaton (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett Catholic Central) went five and a third innings giving up nine hits in the loss.
The Knights had three players grab two hits each, including Wolfe who drove in two runs. Francisco lasted four innings allowing nine hits and three earned runs. He struck out two Thunder batters. David Dahms came out of the bullpen to earn the win pitching an inning. Trevor VanDuyn made the save in two innings pitched.
GAME TWO: Trine 7, Calvin 3
The Thunder took advantage of two errors by the Knights in the first inning to pull away with five runs. LaBounty, Heller and Chase Mahoy (Darlington, Ind./North Montgomery) each drove in a run for Trine.
The Knights notched four hits in the bottom of the inning, but a double play early in the inning helped hold Calvin to only one run.
In the third, Heller was hit by a pitch, and a double by Nick Ricci (Hebron, Ind./Crown Point) pushed another run across home plate for Trine.
Wolfe launched his second home run of the day in the bottom of the inning for the Knights.
Both teams were scoreless for the rest of the game, earning the Thunder its first MIAA victory of the season.
The Knights were plagued by four fielding errors in the game, but slightly outhit the Thunder 10-8.
Heller was 2-for-2 at the plate. Vinny Slobodecki (Carol Stream Ill./Glenbard North) started the game for the Thunder giving up two runs in four innings. Hutchison allowed one run in his three innings pitched for the win. Andy Farrell (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/St. Vincent St. Mary) pitched the last two innings without surrendering a run.
Wolfe went 3-for-4 at the plate for Calvin. Matt Kotva added two hits. Bristol pitched six innings taking the loss, but gave up no earned runs. Three other Knights' pitchers each threw an inning for Calvin.
The Thunder will open its MIAA home slate on Monday when it welcomes Calvin to Jannen Field for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
