Baseball
 

March 8, 2008

Tigers Finish Weekend Series Sweep in Offensive Showcase

San Antonio - Trinity's baseball team finished off a two-game weekend series sweep on Saturday afternoon, defeating DeSales University by the final of 21-7 at E.M. Stevens Field.

Trinity (8-4) had its highest run output since March of 2006, hammering 22 hits overall and 12 extra-base hits.  DeSales scored seven runs on 13 hits, and the two teams combined for six errors as well.

DeSales started off the game with three runs in the first inning, collecting three consecutive singles with one out to get things started.  Not to be outdone, the Tigers then answered with a six-run first that included six consecutive hits with two outs. 

After a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, Trinity had back-to-back-to-back doubles to tie the game.  After an RBI single to put Trinity in the lead, DH Kyle Felix hit his first career homer to finish off the scoring and chase the DeSales starting pitcher from the game.

In the second, DeSales scored twice more to make it a one-run game, and after neither team scored in the next two innings, the visitors tied the game with a single run in the fifth to make it 6-6.  In the bottom of the inning, two Trinity hitters were able to draw a base on balls with the bases loaded to put the Tigers back in front. 

In the sixth, Trinity took advantage of two errors by DeSales that lead to two unearned runs and three runs total in the inning.  The Tigers now led 11-6 heading into the seventh and seemed to take full control of the game.  DeSales then scored a run in the seventh to cut the lead to four, which might not have been safe the way the offenses were clicking in this one. 

The Tigers finished off the home seventh with eight runs on eight hits to push the lead to 19-7 and finally put DeSales away for good.  Stosh Hoover hit his first home run of the season - and the second of his career - to score three early in the inning.  Two batters later, Dominick Robusto hit his second homer of the season.  Trinity added two more runs in the eighth, as John Paillet and Kevin Jackson hit back-to-back RBI doubles.

Evan Jones finished 5-6 with five runs and two RBI in the game, cracking two doubles and improving his batting average to a team-high .436 this season.  Two of his five hits were doubles.

Robusto was 2-4 with three runs and three RBI, while Felix scored twice and drove in three more runs.  Zach Fregosi and Kevin Calbick had two hits and two RBI each, while Calbick also scored two runs. 

Dillan Early was 3-6 with two runs scored and Hoover finished with two runs and three RBI in the game.  Paillet came off the bench and promptly smashed two doubles in his two plate appearances, scoring twice and driving in one.

Mike Panozzo (1-1) came on in relief to earn the win for the Tigers, giving up one run on one hit through 2.1 innings, and striking out four batters.  John Prato Matthews and Zach Bukowski finished off the final two innings, giving up one hit each and striking out one. 

Trinity will travel to Seguin on Tuesday afternoon, facing off against West Region rival Texas Lutheran University.   The Tigers return home on Wednesday to host Division I University of Buffalo, followed by the opening weekend of Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play at Hendrix next weekend.