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Box Score 2 AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The Trinity International Trojans picked up their first win of the 2014 season on Tuesday, as sophomoreAdam Vignola drove in the go-ahead run in extra innings, leading TIU to a 5-4 win over Aquinas (Mich.). The Trojans fell in the second game of the doubleheader to the Saints, after falling behind early with a pair of big innings for Aquinas.
In game one, Aquinas (3-3) struck first, as the Saints pushed the first run of the game on the board, as the game led off with a pair of base hits. Freshman Jeremiah Carter settled into a rhythm after the first inning, giving up just a pair of singles over the next five innings. In his first collegiate start, the Irvine, Calif. native scattered seven hits over 6.1 innings, allowing four runs while striking out three.
The Trojans (1-7) tied the game in the third, when freshman Jeff Lindberg started the inning with a leadoff walk. Rafael Mendez then drove in his fourth RBI of the season with his two-out single, scoring Lindberg to make it a 1-1 game.
With three runs in the last of a seven-inning game, the Trojans looked poised to close out their first win of the season. Loading the bases with three walks, an Aquinas error in the outfield cleared the bases, giving TIU the 4-1 edge. The Saints answered by loading the bases in the bottom half of the inning, chasing Carter from the game after scoring a pair of runs with one out.
TIU sophomore Dakota Pisarek came in to get the second out of the inning on a sacrifice fly, as the Saints tied the game at 4-4. A two-out single from Aquinas' Tyler Fults put the potential game-winning run on third, Pisarek got a called strikeout to end the Saints' rally.
The Trojans took the lead in the extra frame with three straight two-out singles, as Vignola drove in Lindberg to put his team ahead 5-4. Pisarek then struck out the last two hitters to close out the win.
In game two, the Saints struck early and often, scoring four runs in both the first and second innings, jumping out to an 8-0 lead. The Trojans picked up their lone run in the third, when Luke Davidson - pinch-running for Pisarek - scored on a groundout from Tony Guidone. Aquinas tacked on another run in the sixth inning, and two more in the seventh, to come away with an 11-1 win.
The Trojans continue their spring break trip by wrapping up the three-game series with Aquinas on Wednesday morning, as the team has just a single game for each of the next two days in Florida before wrapping up the trip with a doubleheader against Trinity Christian on Friday.
