Baseball
 

February 22, 2007

Tigers Open Tournament Play With Late-Inning Victory

Peoria, Arizona - Trinity's baseball team opened the Desert Classic Tournament with a 9-5 win over Whitworth (WA) College on Thursday afternoon, scoring four runs in the ninth to secure the victory.

Trinity (3-2) fell behind early after Whitworth scored a pair of unearned runs in the first inning, but the Tigers tied the game with their own two-run third inning. 

Whitworth regained the lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the third, but Trinity's three-run fifth made it 5-3 in their favor.  The Pirates scored a single run on a leadoff homer in the sixth, then tied the game with an RBI single in the seventh. 

Back-to-back doubles by Trinity in the ninth broke the tie, and Nick Vera's two-run double two batters later broke the game wide open.  Blake Holman capped the scoring with an RBI single to plate Vera.

Steven Ramos finished 3-5 with three runs scored and one RBI, while Vera was 1-3 with two runs and three RBI.  Holman rapped a pair of hits in the game, as well as stealing two bases. 

Drew Bignall gave up five runs - three earned - on seven hits through 6.2 innings, striking out five and walking three.  Ryan Poffenroth (1-1) earned the win by pitching the final 2.1 innings without allowing a hit and striking out four Whitworth hitters.

Trinity will take on NAIA's Hastings (NE) College later tonight to continue tournament play.  The three-day tournament is being played at the Peoria Complex, which is the spring training site for Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres.