AUBURNDALE, Fl. – The Trine University baseball team won their second consecutive game on Thursday 7-5 over Fontbonne University. The Thunder (4-5) took advantage of six Griffin (3-7) errors and scratched out eight hits in the victory.
A wild first inning resulted in three runs coming around to score for both teams. Five consecutive hits to start the game for Fontbonne plated three Griffin baserunners while Trine utilized three hits, two errors, a wild pitch and a base on balls to tie the game up in the bottom half.
Sophomore infielder Dalton Nikirk [Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence] grounded out to the shortstop that brought Avery Fulford [Conifer, Colo. / Conifer] home. Juniors Adam Stefanelli [Westerville, Ohio / Westerville North] and Matt Weis [Trenton, Ill. / Triad] recorded back-to-back singles with the bases loaded to drive in a run each.
The offense carried over into the second, with a solo homerun by Fontbonne in the top half of the inning and two more runs scored by the Thunder. Tyler Robinson [Schaumburg, Ill. / Schaumburg] led off the inning with a single and got moved around the horn by a bunt and stolen base. An error allowed Robinson to cross the plate and Brenden Warner [Richland, Mich. / Hackett Catholic Prep] drove in Easton Rhodes [Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb] with a double to center to make it 5-4.
Starting pitcher Cam Nagel [Noblesville, Ind. / Noblesville] settled in on the rubber and sat down the final 12 hitters he faced in order to complete six innings of work with eight strikeouts.
The bottom of the fourth inning saw Trine garner an insurance run off of an error to go up 6-4 and left-hander Cole Decker [Leonidas, Mich. / Mendon / Glen Oaks] entered out of the bullpen to hold down the fort. Decker went 1-2-3 in the seventh and induced a groundball double play to end the eighth to keep the game where it was.
Rhodes tacked on a run in the bottom half of the eighth via a sacrifice fly and allowed Noah Brettin [Rolling Prairie, Ind. / New Prairie] to take the mound with a save opportunity. Brettin surrendered two doubles in the ninth, but ultimately completed the save to give the Thunder the 7-5 win.
Nagel picks up the win in his first decision of the season while Brettin is 2-for-2 in save opportunities in 2022. Warner's three hits paced the Trine offense, highlighted by a couple of doubles and an RBI.
The Thunder wrap up their spring break trip on Friday, March 11 with a doubleheader versus Mount St. Joseph. First pitch of game one is set for 9:30 am.