WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Trine University baseball team came up short in a doubleheader on Thursday evening to Franklin College 12-2 in game one and 11-5 in the nightcap. The Thunder have lost four in a row and fall to 5-9 overall as the Grizzlies advance to 12-4 as a team.
GAME ONE RECAP:
The Thunder found themselves behind after one when Franklin scored two runs on one hit and an error. The Grizzlies plated their second run on the inning on a delayed steal of home.
A two-out walk by Adam Stefanelli [Westerville, Ohio / Westerville North] would cost Franklin big time as the next batter Gary DeMartino [Beavercreek, Ohio / Owens C.C.] sent a rocket over the left field fence to knot the game up at 2. It is the senior's first homerun as a member of the Trine baseball team. Starting pitcher Josh Hoogewerf [Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point] worked around two hits in the bottom half, but left them both on to keep the game tied.
The bottom of the third saw Franklin tear the game open with five runs on five hits to claim a 7-2 edge. An Easton Rhodes [Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb] single in the fourth would go by the wayside on a caught stealing, and the Grizzlies tacked on one more in the bottom half to make it 8-2.
Franklin would score two in the sixth and one each in the seventh and eighth innings on their way to a 12-2 run rule victory in game one. DeMartino had three of the team's four hits in the game, the first three-hit game of his career. Hoogewerf (0-1) was saddled with the loss on the bump after four innings of work.
GAME TWO RECAP:
Trine started game two with a bang offensively. Four Thunder student-athletes circled the bases in the top of the first that included four extra base hits with two outs.
Brenden Warner [Richland, Mich. / Hackett Catholic Prep] tripled into right center to spark the two-out rally. DeMartino continued his career day with a walk, then Rhodes was able to send both home with a two-RBI double. Dalton Nikirk [Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence] followed suit with a two-bagger of his own and an RBI triple by Hunter Niksch [Lowell, Ind. / Andrean] brought in Nikirk to go up 4-0.
The Grizzlies got one back in the bottom half of the inning, but Matthew Martin [Eureka, Ill. / Eureka] singled and scored on a wild pitch later in the second to match. However, Franklin would rattle off the final 10 runs of the game and went from down 5-1 to up 11-5 at game's end.
Trine had an opportunity to score in the fourth, but an unfortunate call that the runner left early trying to tag on a potential sacrifice fly halted the scoring effort. The Thunder got two on in the fifth and sixth innings as well but were unable to create a rally.
Jeff Ballard [Munster, Ind. / Munster] twirled a scoreless frame with two strikeouts in relief, but the damage was already done by the Grizzly offense. Starter Bryce Bloode [New Carlisle, Ind. / New Prairie] received the loss (0-4) but scattered five K's over five innings.
Martin and Matt Weis [Trenton, Ill. / Triad] had multiple hits for the Thunder in game two. The two-run double by Rhodes would allow him to be the only player to drive in multiple runs.
Trine will take on Manchester University this weekend in a doubleheader. The games are scheduled for Sunday, March 27 starting at 1 pm.