KISSIMMEE, FLA. -- Junior Jake Roddy (Angola, Ind./Angola) had three hits to go along with three RBI and a run scored to help lead the Trine University baseball team to an 11-6 win against Illinois College in Kissimmee, Fla.
As a team, the Thunder bashed 14 hits against the Blueboys. Roddy was one of two Trine players to finish with three hits (three-of-five overall) along with sophomore Joe Fiorucci (St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph) who went three-of-six with a RBI and run scored.
Senior Jacob Heller (Fort Wayne, Ind./Prairie Heights) and junior Chase Hall (Orleans, Ind./Orleans) both had a pair of hits with Heller going two-of-four with two runs scored and two RBI, while Chase Hall went two-of-five with a pair of runs scored and a RBI.
Trine (3-1) got the scoring going early with three runs in the top of the first inning highlighted by a two-run single by Roddy with runners on second and third base to lead, 3-0. In the third inning, the Thunder tacked on another run on a steal that allowed Heller to score from third base to increase the lead to 4-0. But Illinois erased the Trine lead in the bottom half of the inning with four runs to even the game at 4-4.
Trine quickly regained the lead with four straight runs, beginning with a run in the top of the fourth inning, then added a run in the fifth and two more scores in the sixth to lead, 8-4. The Thunder's run in the fourth came via a solo home run by Chase Hall which was followed by another solo shot, this time by Roddy, for Trine's only run in the fifth. The two runs in the sixth came on a two-RBI single by Heller that allowed junior Jacob Douglass (Frankfort, Ind./Western) and Chase Hall to score.
Illinois got one of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth to make it an 8-5 game, but the Thunder continued the scoring in the top of the eighth inning thanks to a RBI-double by Fiorucci which was followed by to more runs in the ninth that were the result of a two-run single by senior Stevie Sieczkowski (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Technical) to round out the Trine scoring.
Illinois ended the scoring in the game with a run in the bottom of the ninth on a double en route to the 11-6 final.
On the mound for Trine, junior Gordon Wallace (Glennie, Mich./Tawas Area) got the start and pitched three full innings in a no decision after allowing four runs on five hits and had one strikeout. Freshman Austin Nuessgen (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek) made his first collegiate appearance and got the win after pitching three innings and gave up just one run on three hits and struck out two batters.
Sophomore Kyle Robinson (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) finished the game and was credited with a save. In three innings, Robinson gave up just a run and two hits, while striking out three batters.
Trine will take on DeSales (Pa.) University later today in a rescheduled nine-inning game. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in Winter Haven, Fla.