WESTFIELD, IND.-- Trine was dealt a pair of losses by Ohio Northern in a non-conference doubleheader Sunday evening at Grand Park.
A big inning for the Polar Bears in each game provided the deciding margin in each game. Paced by a five-run sixth, ONU took game one by an 8-2 final before using a five-run eighth to take game two, 7-2. Clay Small homered and drove in three runs in game one for the Polar Bears. Ethan Prebynski (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) notched a four-hit day for the Thunder. Trine falls to 4-6 overall entering MIAA play. ONU improved to 9-1.
Game One: ONU 8, Trine 2
The Thunder struck first with a two-run second, but ONU scored seven-unanswered the rest of the way to come back and earn the win.
Zach Thorn (Portage, Ind./Portage) got Trine on the board, ripping a run-scoring triple to left-center. Kory Shackle (Butler, Ohio/Mount Vernon) followed with a line-drive single to center to put the Thunder up 2-0 after two.
A sac fly in the third and an RBI-groundout in the fourth brought ONU back into the game at 2-2 before the five-run sixth.
Small delivered the big hit in the sixth with a three-run homer after two runs had already scored. Nick Guitar added an RBI-single, and the Polar Bears also scored on an error in the innings.
Jordan Bostater added a sac fly in the seventh.
Game Two: ONU 7, Trine 2
Each team scored two runs in their halves of the first. Dan Belliveau picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice and Nick Elzroth plated a run with an RBI-triple for the Polar Bears.
Trine scored without the benefit of a hit in the first, taking advantage of two walks, two wild pitches and a passed ball.
Andy Farrell (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/St. Vincent St. Mary) pitched a solid 7.1 innings for the Thunder. Though he was charged with six earned runs due largely in part to the big eighth inning, the sophomore shut down ONU for most of the night. Farrell allowed just two baserunners in between the second and seventh innings before being snakebitten with a bit of bad luck in the eighth.
A triple to left by Jack Lamarca with one out in the eighth broke two two-all tie. An infield single, a balk and an RBI-groundout plated the rest of the runs in the inning.
ONU's relief pitchers shut down the Trine bats over the final 8.2 innings as John Kopicky and T.J. Storer did not allow a run. Storer was credited with the victory with five innings of shutout, four-hit ball.
Trine opens MIAA play this Saturday, Mar. 21 when they travel to Hope for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.