ALMA, Mich. – The Trine University baseball team was swept by Alma College on Saturday 10-0 in eight innings and 8-4 and have now lost seven consecutive games and the season series with the Scots. After the losses, the Thunder are 13-16 overall and 4-7 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play. Alma improves their record to 13-15-1 and the Scots are a stout 9-3 in league action.
GAME ONE RECAP:
Trine fell behind right away in the first inning after a six spot went on the board for the home team. Alma was able to chase starting pitcher Michael Brucker (0-1) after just two-thirds of an inning and he turned the keys over to Kade Keele. Keele was able to settle in after a tumultuous first inning for the team and keep the damage at six for a while.
Matthew Martin recorded the first hit for the Thunder in the top of the fourth with an infield single. Adam Stefanelli drew a walk later in the inning, but a timely double play for the Scots prevented a run from scoring. Martin knocked another single into right field for his second hit of the day and Cory Erbskorn singled as well in the seventh, but again, neither resulted in a run scored.
A couple of insurance runs for Alma in the bottom of the seventh made it 8-0 Scots and Will Gimble was called upon to make his collegiate debut after 5.2 frames of Keele, who finished with two strikeouts and allowed four hits, three runs and two walks. Gimble was able to get out of the seventh unscathed, but a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth walked it off for Alma by run-rule, 10-0.
GAME TWO RECAP:
Game two was much more competitive for the Thunder as they opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second. Joel Walton drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on a double by Jackson O'Keefe to put two in scoring position. Tyler Robinson drove in a run with a groundball out to make it 1-0. The Scots put one on the board to match in the bottom half of the inning, but an outfield assist by Daniel Rumberger cut down the go-ahead run at the plate.
Trine took a 3-1 lead in the next inning thanks to a leadoff double by Martin and some small ball. An Easton Rhodes sacrifice fly brought Martin home and later in the inning, O'Keefe delivered an RBI single to keep the inning going. After a good start to the game by starting pitcher Luke Cline (0-1), he was touched up in the bottom half of the inning for five more runs and the Thunder were forced to make a call to the bullpen.
A pinch-hit RBI single by Jacob Medvescek in the fourth got Trine one run closer at 6-4, but the bats would go quiet from then on. An error setup a prime opportunity for at least one run in the fifth, but Alma was able to pick up a key strikeout to keep two runners in scoring position stranded on base. An error on the other side of the baseball extended the lead for the Scots, 7-4.
Relievers Jack Villarreal and Noah Brettin did a solid job at limiting the damage, but a triple followed by a wild pitch allowed another run to score to get to the 8-4 final score. O'Keefe was the only man with multiple hits in the series finale after going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Walton and Medvescek reached base twice with one hit and one walk each.
Up next, the Thunder will battle Adrian College at home on Tuesday, April 18. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.