HOLLAND, Mich. -- The Trine University baseball team forced extra innings in the first game of the day but ultimately fell in a pair of contests against their Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) hosts from Hope College. The first game ended 6-4 in eight innings while the second contest of the day ended 4-1 both in favor of the home team.
The Thunder fell behind early in the leadoff game of the day, as the Flying Dutch scored a run in the bottom of the first inning.
Trine would respond with their first runs of the day in the top of the third inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, senior A.J. Mitchell (Emmett, Mich. / Kellogg CC) reached first on a throwing error by the third baseman and both runners came home.
The Thunder would add to their 2-1 lead in the top of the next inning. Sophomore Cory Erbskorn (Archbold, Ohio / Archbold) led off the inning with a single before being joined on the basepath by classmate Adam Stefanelli (Westerville, Ohio / Westerville North) after he reached base on an error in a sacrifice bunt attempt. Sophomore Matt Weis (Trenton, Ill. / Triad) brought in Erbskorn with an RBI single and Stefanelli proceeded to score on a wild pitch for another run.
The Flying Dutch responded in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of their own runs and then tied the contest at four in the fifth inning.
The game-tying run chased starting pitcher freshman Josh Hoogewerf (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) from the mound. He ended his four innings allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks. Classmate Cam Nagel (Noblesville, Ind. / Noblesville) pitched the next 1.2 innings allowing just one hit and a walk before stepping aside for the final out of the sixth inning.
Neither team was able to score a run in the final two innings of regulations and the team's headed to extra innings. Having navigated his way through the seventh and the first two outs of the eighth, senior Drew Cebulak (Oakmont, Pa. / Central Catholic) was unable to record the final out allowing a walk-off homer to Hope. The game would end in a 6-4 defeat for Trine.
Hope steadily built a 4-0 lead in the second contest of the day, scoring a pair of runs in the third and fifth innings.
Trine finally cracked the scoreboard in the sixth inning. The team would load the bases to start the inning with a pair of singles and a walk. Sophomore Avery Fulford (Conifer, Colo. / Conifer) then recorded a double. The leading runner scored easily for the Thunder but the second runner was caught at home after a cut-off throw.
The Flying Dutch would close out the inning and then the game following the run and Trine would drop the contest 4-1.
The Thunder fall to 6-25 overall and 6-16 in MIAA play. They will return home for the final regular-season game of the season when they host Hope for the final game of the four-game series tomorrow, Saturday, May 8 at 4 p.m.