Baseball
 

February 20, 2007

Tigers Defeat Crusaders in Home Opener Tuesday

San Antonio - The Tiger baseball team opened the home portion of its 2007 schedule with a 6-2 win over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Tuesday night at E.M. Stevens Field.

Trinity (2-2) scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth to open up the game's scoring.  The Crusaders answered with a run in the sixth, followed by an unearned run in the ninth.

Trinity Hall of Famer and former head baseball coach Houston Wheeler threw out the first pitch of the home campaign - a tradition that has been going on at least as long as current head coach Tim Scannell has led the Tigers (1999). 

Brian Oates (1-0) scored the victory in his first game of the season, striking out seven batters in four shutout innings.  Oates walked two players, but didn't allow a hit in his four innings of work.

Relievers Ryan Hopkins, Evan Bronson, and Andrew Tarnow allowed just one earned run on six hits through the final five innings, piling up six more strikeouts against Crusaders hitters.

Andreas Verrios was 2-2 with one run and one RBI in the game, as well as reaching on a walk.  Verrios had an RBI single to put the Tigers on the board in the sixth inning.  Nick Vera was 1-2  with one RBI and two walks in the game, and also stole his third base of the season.

The Tigers travel to Peoria, Arizona tomorrow, and will open up the Desert Classic Tournament with a pair of games on Thursday.  Trinity takes on Whitworth (WA) College and Hastings (NE) College Thursday, followed by a prime time game against Washington & Lee University on Friday night.