AUBURNDALE, FLA. -- The Trine University baseball team claimed its fourth-straight victory with a 10-3 win against Widener (Pa.) University as part of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational at the Lake Myrtle Complex in Auburndale, Fla.
Both teams scored a run in the first inning with Trine's (5-2) run coming of the bat of junior Jake Conley (Moline, Ill./Black Hawk CC) on a single that scored senior Jacob Douglass (Frankfort, Ind./Western) in the top half of the inning.
Trine then took the lead in the top of the third with four runs thanks to a RBI-groundout by junior A.J. Mitchell (Emmett, Mich./Kellogg CC) with runners on second and third base, followed by another RBI-base hit by Conley and then capped by a two-run double by senior Shayne Devine (Valparaiso, Ind./Portage) to make it a 5-1 margin.
Widener (3-4) got a run back in its half of the fourth inning to creep closer by a score of 5-2. But the Thunder answered with a four-run top of the fifth on a series of defensive errors that ballooned the lead to 9-2.
Just as the game began, the final runs of the game came in the seventh when both teams plated a run that included a RBI-single by senior Jake Roddy (Angola, Ind./Angola) with runner on third base to score Trine's run to make it a 10-3 game. The two squads were held scoreless in the final two innings as the Thunder went on to claim to 10-3 victory.
Trine was led in hits by Conley who finished three-of-four with a run scored and two RBI. Roddy and Devine also recorded multi-hit games with Roddy going two-of-three in addition to a run scored and RBI. Devine also finished two-of-three at the plate and had a pair of runs scored and RBI.
Junior Drew Bradford (Huntington, Ind./Whitko) made his second start on the mound of the season and got his first win of the year (1-1 overall) after pitching five-and-a-third innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits and struck out five batters. Senior Tony Bottone (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers) came on to pitch two and two-thirds innings of relief and allowed just a run on one hit while tallying five strikeouts. Junior Kyle Robinson (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) finished the game pitching a scoreless ninth inning that included a strikeout.
The Thunder look to continue the positive momentum tomorrow (Wednesday, Mar. 4) when they take on Clark (Mass.) University in a single, nine-inning game at Pat Thomas Park in Leesburg, Fla. The first pitch is set for noon.