KALAMAZOO, MICH. -- The Trine University baseball team began its 2021 season with a non-conference doubleheader at Kalamazoo (Mich.) College, but fell to the Hornets in both games, 3-0 and 14-10, at Woodworth Field in Kalamazoo, Mich.
In game one, KZOO (3-5) struck first in the bottom of the first inning on a run scoring single with a base runner on third base. The deficit remained at a run until the bottom of the fourth inning when the Hornets tacked on two more runs thanks to a two-run home run to make the score 3-0.
Trine (0-2) had runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings with a walk in each frame and then senior Joe Fiorucci (St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph) reached base in the top of the seventh on a single to right field, but the hit came with a pair of outs already on the board. Before any runs crossed homeplate, KZOO got the final out it needed in the seventh to end the game and go on to the 3-0 shutout.
The Thunder finished with four hits in game one that came of the bats of Fiorucci, sophomore Adam Stefanelli (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville North), senior Jake Conley (Moline, Ill./Black Hawk C.C.) and junior Gary DeMartino (Beavercreek, Ohio/Owens C.C.).
At pitcher, senior Adam Wheaton (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett Catholic Prep) had a solid game, but ended up with the loss after pitching the entire game and gave up three runs, two earned, on seven hits and struck out five batters in his season debut.
In the nightcap, the two squads combined for 24 runs and the only scoreless inning recorded came in the first inning. Trine got the scoring going in the top of the second frame when Conley connected on a RBI-double that scored junior Brenden Warner (Richland, Mich./Hackett Catholic Prep). KZOO answered, however, in the bottom of the second thanks to a RBI-triple to tie the game at 1-1 after two innings.
Trine broke the tie during the very next inning with a run that scored off of a defensive groundout that made it a 2-1 game. But the home team answered again in its half of the inning, this time by plating four runs to take the lead by a margin of 5-2. The Thunder got two of those runs back in the fourth on a single up the middle by senior Shayne Devine (Valparaiso, Ind./Portage) that scored Conley and Fiorucci and narrowed the gap to 5-4. KZOO regained a little breathing room in the bottom of the inning with a run that extended the margin to 6-4 heading into the fifth inning.
In the top of the fifth, Trine added three runs to its total on a pair of doubles that began with junior Trent Hey (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) which scored one run and was followed by a two-run double two batters later by Conley that ended up giving the Thunder a 7-6 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, the Hornets tied the game on a single to center field that made it a 7-7 ball game after five innings of play.
Then in the sixth, senior A.J. Mitchell (Emmett, Mich./Kellogg C.C.) scored another run for Trine with a triple that plated Stefanelli and later advanced to third base where he scored a run himself on a passed ball which gave Trine a two-run advantage, 9-7. But the Hornets made yet another rally in their half of the inning by scoring five total runs, highlighted by a solo homerun that started the scoring, and resulted in KZOO moving back ahead on the scoreboard, 12-9.
KZOO tacked on a run in both the seventh and eighth innings, setting up a 14-9 deficit for Trine heading into the final inning. After back-to-back outs started off the Trine ninth inning, the Thunder then got two consecutive walks which were then followed by a throwing error allowing one of the runs to cross homeplate. Following a pitching change by KZOO, the game ended on a strikeout, ending a possible Thunder rally and preserved the 14-10 win for the Hornets.
Trent Hey recorded a team-high four hits in the game (four-of-five overall) and also scored a run and RBI. Conley went three-of-four at the plate to go along with a run scored and a pair of RBI, while Mitchell also finished with three hits (three-of-five overall) with two runs scored and a RBI.
Devine and Fiorucci rounded out the multi-hit efforts with Devine going two-of-four with a run scored and two RBI, while Fiorucci had two hits in five at-bats and also scored two runs.
Five pitchers saw action for Trine with junior Bryce Bloode (New Carlisle, Ind./New Prairie) getting the start and pitched three complete innings allowing five runs on six hits and had one strikeout. Sophomore Robert Kortas (New Baltimore, Mich./Anchor Bay) ended up as the pitcher of record and was credited with the loss after giving up four runs, one earned, on three hits.
Trine returns to the diamond tomorrow (Sunday, Mar. 14) when it hosts Albion (Mich.) College in a non-conference doubleheader at Jannen Field. The first game is set to start at 1 p.m.