NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – The Trine University baseball team suffered an extra inning defeat on Wednesday 11-10 in 12 innings. The Thunder (5-7) jumped out to an 9-3 advantage before the Spartans (3-7) came storming back for seven of the final eight runs to provide free baseball to the fans. Manchester was able to prevail in the bottom of the 12th inning.
The top of the first started with a leadoff double by Tyler Robinson [Schaumburg, Ill. / Schaumburg] and RBI single down the right field line by Dalton Nikirk [Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence] to go up 1-0.
Matt Weis [Trenton, Ill. / Triad], Avery Fulford [Conifer, Colo. / Conifer] and Nikirk once more added on with a four-spot in the second inning. Fulford drove in two runs with a double to left field. The Spartans used small ball to get one back in the bottom half, but the Thunder still took a commanding 5-1 lead through two.
A pitching change by Manchester did not change the result in the third as Trine secured three more runs on three hits and an error. Easton Rhodes [Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb] crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Weis. Matthew Martin [Eureka, Ill. / Eureka] and Cory Erbskorn [Archbold, Ohio / Archbold] scored later in the inning on an error to go up 8-1.
In the bottom half of the third, Manchester got two back without a hit. A sacrifice fly by Adam Stefanelli [Westerville, Ohio / Westerville North] in the fourth kept the offense flowing at 9-3. Pitcher Cam Nagel [Noblesville, Ind. / Noblesville] struck out two in a 1-2-3 fourth inning. Nagel struck out seven in four-plus innings.
The fifth, sixth and seventh innings saw the Thunder get outscored 6-1 as Manchester pulled to within one run. Cole Decker [Leonidas, Mich. / Mendon / Glen Oaks] was able to slam the door on the Spartans with the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh and Noah Brettin [Rolling Prairie, Ind. / New Prairie] twirled a perfect eighth to prevent them from tying the game.
A lead-off homerun for the Spartans in the bottom of the ninth tied the contest at 10, and the Spartans had traffic on the basepaths before leaving two stranded to go to extra innings.
Jeff Ballard [Munster, Ind. / Munster] toed the rubber with the wining run in scoring position for Manchester, but the lefty closed out the inning to keep the game going. Brenden Warner [Richland, Mich. / Hackett Catholic Prep] singled and advanced to third in the 11th, but Trine was unable to secure the go-ahead run.
A one-out double from the Spartans allowed them to threaten once more, but it was Kade Keele [Fort Wayne, Ind. / New Haven] entering from the Thunder bullpen to get out of the jam.
Weis singled in the 12th for his fourth base hit of the game, but was left on and Manchester was able to get it done in the bottom half with an infield single to win 11-10. Keele was hit with the loss, but was one of six Trine hurlers to take the mound on the day.
The Thunder pounded out 15 hits on the day, led by Weis with four, Warner with three and Nikirk with two.
This weekend, Trine travels to Franklin College for a three-game weekend series. Friday, March 18 is the start with a 3 pm first pitch.