GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Trine University baseball team split a doubleheader with Calvin University on Saturday afternoon. The Thunder dropped game one of the day 8-4, but came back to win game two by a score of 13-9 thanks to a crooked number in the sixth inning for the offense.
Trine ends the day with a record of 14-19 overall and 5-10 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play. Calvin is 15-16 and 7-7 in conference play following the three-game series win.
GAME ONE RECAP:
Despite first inning singles by Matthew Martin and Robert Kortas, the Thunder were unable to scratch a run across and immediately fell behind 2-0 in the bottom half of the frame. The top of the order would put themselves on base once again in the third, but this time Trine was able to get one. Martin and Kortas each singled again, as well as a Matt Weis walk in between loaded the bases for Adam Stefanelli. He drove in a run by reaching on a fielder's choice to make it 2-1 Knights.
Calvin would manufacture a run in the bottom of the third to answer, and they would chase the Thunder starting pitcher Luke Cline (0-2) from the game with two more runs in the fourth. Four extra base hits for the Knights in the sixth inning widened the gap to 8-1.
An Avery Fulford double in the seventh resulted in a run thanks to an error later in the inning that sparked a rally for Trine. The next inning saw Jackson O'Keefe drive in pinch runner Tyler Wise and Joel Walton with a two-RBI triple that made it 8-4, but the Thunder ran out of outs late in the game to make a full comeback.
After a 4-for-4 performance in the opening game of the series, Kortas was 3-for-4 in game one of Saturday's doubleheader as well. Martin had two hits and Weis reached base twice on walks. O'Keefe's triple resulted in a team-high two RBIs and he would draw a walk as well to reach base a second time in the ballgame. Pitcher Will Gimble allowed one inherited runner to score, but did not have any runs on his ledger in 2.2 innings pitched and he punched out two.
GAME TWO RECAP:
Scoring came early and often for both teams in the final game of the series. A pair of walks provided the opportunity for Walton to drive in a run with a single up the middle, but Calvin was able to plate three over the course of the next two innings. Trailing 3-1, Stefanelli and Walton each drove in a run apiece with hits to even the score. The Knights went up 5-3 after matching the Thunder in the bottom half of the third.
Kade Keele (1-3) settled in after entering from the Trine bullpen and tossed a scoreless fourth and fifth for the team. A massive six-run top of the sixth would give him the insurance needed to pick up the victory on the mound. Weis, Kortas and Stefanelli drove in two runs each in their plate appearances, highlighted by a homerun off the bat of the senior designated hitter Stefanelli. Two came across to score for the Knights in the bottom half, but it was the Thunder who ended the inning in front, 9-7.
A two-run double from Martin increased Trine's lead to 11-7, but a wild pitch allowed Calvin to stay within striking distance. The teams would trade runs in the eighth thanks to another run-scoring hit by Stefanelli to make it 12-9 heading into the final inning of regulation. A walk, hit and error put the Thunder up 13-9 for Noah Brettin to finish the job in the ninth. He would lock down his third save of the season with a total of 3.2 innings with zero walks and one strikeout.
Stefanelli drove in four runs in a 3-for-4 day with one walk and eight total bases. Kortas added three more hits to his impressive series at the plate against Calvin while Martin, Walton and Tyler Robinson had multiple hits in the game. Martin and Robinson each reached base four times by drawing two walks each.
Friday, April 28 is the next opportunity for Trine baseball to take the field. They will be in action on the road at Albion College beginning at 4 p.m.