ALBION, Mich.—The Trine baseball team split a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association doubleheader at Albion on Wednesday in their last road games of the regular season.
The Thunder and the Britons moved up their doubleheader that was scheduled for Friday due to forecasted inclement weather.
Trine moves to 17-18 overall and 11-15 in MIAA play. Albion is 15-22 this season and is 8-18 in conference action.
Senior Robert Ross (Valparaiso, Ind./Washington Township) led the Thunder with three hits and three RBI on the day. Fellow senior Drew Palmer (Hartford, Ohio/Hartford Union) notched three hits and two RBI. Palmer has 151 career hits to sit in fifth in the school record books. The senior also has 87 career RBI, which is good for second in Trine history. Jacob Heller (Fort Wayne, Ind./Prairie Heights) increased his hitting streak to 13 games with three hits and an RBI. Kevin O'Malley (Commerce Township, Mich./Walled Lake) added three hits and two RBI. Senior Andy Farrell (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/St. Vincent St. Mary) pitched a complete game in the Thunder victory allowing only one run, while striking out six Britons' batters. Farrell has 108 career strikeouts, good for third in school history.
GAME ONE: Albion 9, Trine 8
The Thunder jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning. Colton Conn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill) led off the game with a walk and stole second. Zach Seder (Saginaw, Mich./Valley Lutheran) hit to left field driving in Conn. Palmer followed with a single, and Heller loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch. Ross singled down the right field line to drive in two runs. Chris Frantz (Niles, Mich./Niles) drove in the Thunder's fifth run.
In the top of the third, O'Malley drove in Trine's sixth run with a single to right center.
In the bottom of the third, Albion scored five runs off four hits and two errors.
Conn led off the fourth with a hit to left center. Seder moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Heller doubled to right to drive in Conn.
Albion grabbed a 9-7 lead in the bottom of the fifth. The Britons scored four runs off five hits including two doubles, and one error.
Palmer drove in the Thunder's eighth run in the top of the sixth with a double to center.
Palmer, Heller, Ross and O'Malley each had two hits for the Thunder. Ben Wheaton (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett Catholic Central) took the loss on the mound for Trine striking out one and giving up four earned runs. Jacob Stauffer (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) came in from the bullpen to pitch the sixth inning keeping Albion not giving up a hit.
Joe Turnbull and Shane Lindemann led the Britons with three hits each. Riley Stesiak drove in two runs. Andrew Fabry came in from the bullpen to pitch six inning giving up three earned runs to take the win. Steven Scott pitched the top of the seventh to earn his fourth save of the year.
GAME TWO: Trine 4, Albion 1
The Thunder got on the board in the top of the first. Jacob Douglass (Frankfort, Ind./Western) walked and after a wild pitch advanced to second. Palmer drove him home with a hit up the middle. With two outs, the Thunder took advantage of a second wild pitch. Ross drove in the Thunder's second run with a hit to right field.
Trine took advantage of throwing errors by Albion in the top of the third to score their third run.
Albion notched their only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth. Bowers double down the left field line and scored off a sacrifice fly.
In the top of the eighth with two outs, Douglass hit to left to drive in Chase Hall (Orleans, Ind./Orleans) for the Thunder's fourth run.
Hall reached base four times with two hits and two walks. Douglass, Palmer and Ross all drove in runs for Trine.
Albion was led by Ronnie Williams with two hits.
The Thunder will play host to Albion for its final doubleheader of the regular season on Sunday for Senior Day. Game One begins at 1 p.m.