WINTER HAVEN, Fl. – The Trine University baseball team was defeated by King's College out of Pennsylvania on Tuesday morning 12-1 in seven innings.
The Thunder (2-5) are now 1-3 on their spring break trip and the Monarchs (3-1) used scores in the first three innings to run away to the shortened victory.
The first three batters for King's reached base, including a two-RBI double by the three-hole hitter to drive in a pair of runs. Later in the inning, he would be brought home by a groundout to the shortstop Avery Fulford [Conifer, Colo. / Conifer] to go up 3-0 before Trine took an at-bat.
Easton Rhodes [Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb] used small ball in the first inning and took advantage of an error and wild pitch to get to third base and Dalton Nikirk [Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence] made it 3-1 with a single to left field. Fulford and Tyler Robinson [Schaumburg, Ill. / Schaumburg] reached to lead the bases in the first, but they would all be left on base.
The top of the second would be another big scoring opportunity for the Monarchs after the first five hitters got on base. Two would score on RBI singles and a sacrifice fly brought home a third run in the frame to go up 6-1.
King's would tack on two more runs in the top of the third to make it an 8-1 ballgame. Brenden Warner [Richland, Mich. / Hackett Catholic Prep] singled to lead off the third for the Thunder but was stranded 90 feet from home.
Southpaw Cole Decker [Leonidas, Mich. / Mendon / Glen Oaks] entered from the Trine bullpen and threw three innings of shutout baseball. In total, the reliever gave up two hits and one walk and struck out a pair of Monarchs.
A three-run homerun highlighted the top of the seventh for King's as they took a 12-1 edge. A Nikirk single and Warner walk put two runners on in an attempt to extend the game, but the Trine offense was unable to bring them in to score in a 12-1 loss.
Robinson (2-for-2) and Nikirk (2-for-4) had multi-hit days for the Thunder. Freshman Hunter Niksch [Lowell, Ind. / Andrean] was saddled with the loss in the game.
Vassar College is on the schedule on Wednesday, March 9. First pitch from Lake Myrtle, Florida is slated for 3:15 pm.