ADRIAN, MICH. -- The Trine University baseball team began its Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association four-game series against Adrian (Mich.) College with a pair of losses, 2-1 and 17-2, at Nicolay Field in Adrian, Mich.
Game one remained scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when Adrian (8-5, 2-0 MIAA) got on the scoreboard with a run on a groundout to grab an 1-0 lead. The lead didn't last long as Trine (0-11, 0-2 MIAA) answered the Bulldog score with a run of its own in the top half of the fourth inning on a single by freshman Dalton Nikirk (Bedford, Ind./Bedford North Lawrence) that scored junior Brenden Warner (Richland, Mich./Hackett Catholic Prep) who singled earlier in the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Adrian started off the inning with a triple and then plated the run in its next at-bat with a sacrifice fly to regain a one-run margin, 2-1. The run turned out to be the difference maker as Trine was held scoreless the remainder of the game allowing Adrian to hang on for the 2-1 victory.
Both teams recorded four hits in the game with all four of Trine's hits coming off the bats of different individuals. Nikirk finished one-of-three with the lone RBI and Warner also tallied a hit in three plate appearances in addition to scoring a run.
Senior pitcher Adam Wheaton (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett Catholic Prep) made another solid start, but ended up with the loss despite giving up just two runs, one earned, on four hits and struck out nine batters in a complete game effort.
In the nightcap, the Adrian offense found its stride and took command right from the start by scoring 10 runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Thunder got a run back in the top of the second inning on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Adam Stefanelli (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville North) with bases loaded. The Bulldogs maintained the offensive explosion with four additional runs in their half of the second frame to extend the deficit to 14-1.
Adrian then tacked on three more runs in the fourth that was highlighted by a two-run home run and made the score 17-1.
The final run in the game was scored by Trine in the top of the seventh that began with a double by junior Quin Fauquher (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) and was followed by a pinch-hit single by sophomore Josh Belanger (Goodrich, Mich./Goodrich) to put runners at the corners. Two batters later, Fauquher crossed home plate on a defensive error. Following two additional Adrian errors, Trine had bases loaded, but with two outs. The Bulldogs then got the final out it needed on a fly out to right field in the next Thunder plate appearance to end the game and cruise to the 17-2 final.
Trine finished game two with three hits that included Fauquher who went one-of-two with the run scored. Belanger finished one-for-one at the plate and Warner recorded the other hit for the Thunder (one-of-two overall). Stefanelli finished hitless in the game, but only had one official at-bat and tallied an RBI.
Six Trine pitchers saw action in the game with junior Bryce Bloode (New Carlisle, Ind./New Prairie) getting the start, but suffered the loss after giving up six runs on two hits.
Trine and Adrian will play the final doubleheader of the series tomorrow (Sunday, Mar. 28) at Jannen Field in Angola, Ind. The first game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.