AUBURNDALE, FLA. -- The Trine University baseball team was defeated by Fontbonne (Mo.) University, 15-8, in a non-conference, nine-inning game in Auburndale, Fla.
Trine totaled 13 hits at the plate with junior Thomas Rivet (Howell, Mich./Hartland) leading the way with three hits in four at-bats and had a run scored to go along with two RBI. Junior Chase Hall (Orleans, Ind./Orleans), sophomore Joe Fiorucci (St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph) and junior Shayne Devine (Valparaiso, Ind./Portage) all had two hits in the game. Chase Hall went two-of-three, while both Fiorucci and Devine were two-of-five. Fiorucci also scored a pair of runs and Devine knocked in two runs.
Rounding out the statistical leaders was junior Jake Roddy (Angola, Ind./Angola) with two RBI and had one hit in five at-bats.
Trine (4-2) struck first with two runs in the top of the first inning when Roddy connected on his only hit of the game for a two-run single that scored Rivet and Fiorucci. But Fontbonne (9-0) answered with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning to even the score at 2-2.
The Griffins then took the lead by crossing home plate four times in the second inning that included a two-RBI double to make the score, 6-2. Fontbonne continued the offensive spurt in the bottom of the fourth with three more runs to pad the lead to 9-2.
Trine would have to play catch-up which began with a run in the fifth on a RBI-double by Rivet to inch closer by a score of 9-3. But Fontbonne got the run back in the bottom of the frame to put the Thunder down by seven runs, 10-3.
In the top of the seventh, Trine had bases loaded when Devine hit a single to left field that plated two runs to make it a 10-5 game. The Griffins scored a run in their turn at the plate to increase the margin to 11-5.
The final runs of the game for Trine came in the eighth inning with three scores that came on a two-run double by senior Jacob Heller (Fort Wayne, Ind./Prairie Heights) and a RBI-single by Rivet that put the Thunder to within three runs, 11-8. Fontbonne put the game out of reach with an ensuing four-run bottom of the eighth and then held Trine scoreless in the ninth to go on to the 15-8 final.
On the mound for Trine, five pitchers saw action with sophomore Ben West (Stanton, Mich./Central Montcalm) getting the start. West pitched two innings, but suffered the loss after giving up six runs, four earned on seven hits and struck out two batters.
The Thunder will conclude their annual season-opening trip to Florida with a pair of games tomorrow (Friday, Mar. 8) beginning with a matchup against Penn State-Abington at 9:45 a.m. and will then take on St. Vincent (Pa.) College at 1:15 p.m.
