ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon to Albion College. The Britons were able to win game one 2-0 and game two 10-0. The Thunder fall to 14-21 this season and 5-12 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) action. Albion moves to 10-25 overall and 7-10 in league play.
GAME ONE RECAP:
Trine turned to their ace Josh Hoogewerf (4-3) to toss a complete game in the seven-inning series opener and did just that despite the team's loss. The right-hander allowed just four hits and one earned run in the contest while striking out five opposing hitters.
Hoogewerf retired the side in order to begin the game and cruised through the first three innings. He overcame a fielding error by inducing a 5-4-3 double play to keep the zero on the board. Albion would plate two runs in the fourth inning that would be enough for the victory. They had two hits in the inning and used an error to put themselves in position to swipe home on a delayed steal.
Matthew Martin notched the Thunder's first hit in the fourth inning, but the offense behind him was unable to manufacture a run. Trine put two on base in the fifth with a Dane DuBois single and Matt Weis walk, but once again the Britons were able to preserve the shutout. A walk surrendered in the sixth and seventh innings by Hoogewerf would result in no damage, but the bats could not complete the comeback in game one with a 2-0 loss.
Tyler Robinson was the only other man to reach base, a walk early in the game. The first baseman joined Joel Walton and Avery Fulford with a pair of twin killings in the opener.
GAME TWO RECAP:
Cam Nagel was tasked with taking the mound to start game two of the three-game set, but Albion was able to get on the scoreboard in the top of the first with two hits. Nagel would roll up a double play to help end the inning. Martin drew a walk to lead it off for the Thunder and Adam Stefanelli added a single, but a fielder's choice brought an end to the inning.
Jackson O'Keefe and Easton Rhodes tallied hits in the second and Martin took one the other way to right in the third to add to Trine's hit total, but once again they were left on base. The Britons added one run in the third and tacked on five more in the fourth to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Robert Kortas threw out a runner trying to score in the fifth inning to prevent more runs from going up on the board.
Kade Keele was the first man out of the bullpen for the Thunder and had not given up a run before a line drive back at him forced him to be removed from the game. Will Gimble was able to steady the ship with a runner in scoring position and twirled a 1-2-3 frame in the seventh. Three more runs came around to score for the Britons to get to the 10-0 final score.
Martin reached base in four of his five plate appearances, with a hit, two walks and a hit by pitch. Fulford and Rhodes each recorded multiple hits in the game for the team. Robinson and Brody Bond added hits after entering the game in the late innings. Nagel was saddled with the loss (3-6) after four innings where he allowed three earned runs and fanned three. Gimble retired three of the five batters he faced on strikes.
The series finale is scheduled for Friday, April 28 at 4 p.m. to be played at Albion.