Baseball
 

March 11, 2008

Trinity Edged by Texas Lutheran Tuesday Night

San Antonio - The Tiger baseball team squandered an early lead on Tuesday night, as Texas Lutheran posted an 8-7 comeback victory.

Trinity (8-5) scored in each of the first four innings to take a 7-3 lead, but the Tigers were held scoreless the rest of the way.  Texas Lutheran scratched its way back into the game, and then finally pulled ahead with a three-run eighth inning.

After putting together a pair of two-run innings to start the game, Trinity held a 4-0 lead early in the game.  Texas Lutheran rallied for three runs in the third, though, making it a one-run advantage heading into the bottom of the third.  The Tigers added two more runs in the inning, as well as another score in the fourth to make it 7-4 to that point. 

Texas Lutheran answered with a run in the fifth, then plated another run in the seventh to cut the lead to 7-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh.  In the eighth, Texas Lutheran had three straight hits to start the inning - including back-to-back doubles that tied the game at 7-7.  The visitors then added the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded double-play to second. 

Tiger starter Evan Bronson (2-2) was charged with the loss, giving up six earned runs on nine hits.  He did strike out 11 batters and walked just two.  Ryan Poffenroth came on in relief, allowing no runs on three hits in 1.1 innings, while John Prato Matthews came on with the bases loaded in the ninth.  Prato Matthews induced an inning-ending double play that gave Trinity a chance in the bottom of the ninth. 

Stosh Hoover went 3-4 with two runs scored in the game, coming up a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.  Evan Jones was 2-3 with three RBI - including his team-leading fourth homer of the year. 

Kyle Felix also hit a home run for the Tigers - his second of the year - and drove in two runs.  Dillan Early scored twice for Trinity as well.

Trinity will host the University of Buffalo tomorrow night, followed by a four-game weekend series at Hendrix College, opening up Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.