AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Trine University baseball team competed against Waynesburg University on Friday in a doubleheader. The Thunder (6-3) were able to get a shutout in game one 4-0, but dropped the second seven-inning game of the day by a tally of 8-3 to the Yellow Jackets (5-3).
GAME ONE RECAP:
An RBI double off the bat of Joel Walton gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead in the first inning, which was enough for the team's ace Josh Hoogewerf to secure the victory. After a scoreless first, the senior right-hander retired seven in a row with three punchouts.
Trine added on to their lead in the bottom of the third inning when Daniel Rumberger doubled and later scored on an error. Rumberger would step back to the plate in inning number four and deliver a two-out run scoring single to bring Preston Henschen home after he drew a walk earlier in the frame. Easton Rhodes provided the final bit of insurance in the fifth with a solo homerun, the first of his career.
Hoogewerf continued to toe the rubber for the Thunder and was able to complete the game for the team to move to 1-1 on the year. He allowed just four hits and two walks on the day. At the plate, Brody Bond and Rumberger had two hits apiece with two RBIs credited to Walton.
GAME TWO RECAP:
Game two did not start as well for Trine. Waynesburg scored the first eight runs of the game, including a four-spot in the first and unearned runs in both the second and third innings.
Momentum picked up for the Thunder in inning number four as three runs went on the scoreboard. Walton, Nathan Gilmet and Rhodes all followed one another with singles to plate the team's first run of the game. Justin Hamberg would do the same to provide a second run. A double play helped to get the Yellow Jackets out of the inning, but not without another run scoring on the play to make it 8-3.
Both pitching staffs would settle down opposing bats in the later innings. Jake Schumacher twirled the final three innings on the bump and Waynesburg was scoreless in that time. He allowed just one hit and struck out one batter. Michael Brucker was in the game prior to Schumacher and all four runs scored on his ledger were unearned. Hamberg had the only multi-hit game for Trine, going 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. Cole Temple had the only extra-base hit in game two with a double.
UP NEXT:
Spring break concludes for the Thunder on Saturday, March 9 with a single game against Dominican University beginning at 9:30 a.m.