ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University baseball team picked up a series-clinching victory against Albion College on Sunday by a score of 10-4 at Jannen Field.
The Thunder move their record to 14-20 overall and is even at 9-9 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play. On the other side, the Britons sit at 14-22 following the loss and 7-11 in conference action.
In the game, there were a combined nine double plays, four coming from the gloves of Trine defenders. That ties the program record for most double plays turned in a game dating back to 1999.
Starting pitcher Cam Nagel [Noblesville, Ind. / Noblesville] worked around a one-out double in a scoreless top of the first, and did the same in the second and third innings when baserunners reached on an infield single and error. The Thunder offense also had traffic on the bases, but were unable to push a run across through the first half of the game. Double plays burned the home team in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings to keep the goose egg on the board.
The Britons were able to plate runs in the fourth on a solo homerun and fifth on an unearned run. The deficit remained at two thanks to a key defensive play at the plate from Cory Erbskorn [Archbold, Ohio / Archbold] to Jackson O'Keefe [Saline, Mich. / Saline / Owens CC] to Matt Weis [Trenton, Ill. / Triad].
The bottom of the sixth would be the spark that the Thunder offense needed to take off. The team batted around in the frame and chased the starter from the contest. Matthew Martin [Eureka, Ill. / Eureka] and Dalton Nikirk [Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence] reached base without a hit and Brenden Warner [Richland, Mich. / Hackett Catholic Prep] drove in one with a single to left. Weis drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game at two and Erbskorn knocked a fly ball into right center field that dropped for a bases clearing double. The next batter Quin Fahquher [Muncie, Ind. / Yorktown] drove in the sixth run of the inning with a single to right.
The Britons got one back in the top of the seventh to make it 6-3, but Avery Fulford [Conifer, Colo. / Conifer] hammered his third homerun of the season to lead off the bottom half. Erbskorn and pinch hitter Easton Rhodes [Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb] were hit by pitches with nowhere to put them that got two runs of insurance. Robert Kortas [New Baltimore, Mich. / Anchor Bay] delivered an RBI single over the shortstop's head in the eighth to go up 10-3.
Out of the bullpen, Jeff Ballard [Munster, Ind. / Munster] got the final nine outs of the game, including a game-ending double play Fulford to Martin to Nikirk to complete the save, his second of the year. He went 3.0 innings of shutout baseball with just one hit and one walk allowed. Nagel got the win (3-1) and pitched 6.0 innings and struck out five.
At the plate, Fahquher was a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI while Warner joined him with a three-hit effort. Erbskorn had two hits and a team-high four runs batted in.
Next week, the Thunder have a three-game set with Hope College, who is currently the number one seed heading into the MIAA Tournament. The series opener takes place on Thursday, May 5 at 4 pm on the road.