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Box Score 2 LAKELAND, Fla. -- A late-inning home run capped a solid pitching performance, as the Trinity International Trojans won their second straight after defeating the Trinity Christian Trolls, 4-3, in the first game of a doubleheader Friday morning during the current spring break road trip through Florida.
Sophomore DH A.J. Bruner hit a sixth-inning home run in a tie game to but the Trojans (3-9) on top for good, capping off a 3-for-3 game where the Evansville, Ind. native drove in three RBI. Dakota Pisarek picked up his second win of the season after pitching a complete game, giving up three runs while scattering six hits.
TIU tied the game at 1-1 in the first inning, after the Trolls (4-8) pushed across the a run in the top of the first. Evan Athanasioureached base after getting hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the inning, then was driven home on a double from Bruner.
The Trojans then took the lead in the following inning, when Tony Guidone drove home Jacob Scheibe with a two-out single. TIU made it a 3-1 game in the third, when Athanasiou scored again, on a single from Bruner.
Trinity Christian rallied to tie the score in the sixth inning of the seven-inning matchup, with a one-out double that scored a pair of runners, making it a 3-3 game. After Pisarek got out of the inning, Bruner took TCC deep for what would be the game-winning homer. Pisarek went back out to close out the seventh, retiring the Trolls in order to secure the win.
The pitching staff struggled in game two of the doubleheader, giving up three or more runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. The offense also slowed, with just two hits over the first four innings.
A four-run fifth helped close the gap, as Rafael Mendez capped the rally with a 2-RBI single, driving in Athanasiou and Jeff Lindberg. Andrew Grotelueschen drove home Athanasiou in the seventh, but the Trojans were unable to close the gap, as the Trolls took a 11-5 decision.
With the doubleheader at Grace (Ind.) originally scheduled for March 18 being cancelled earlier on Friday, the Trojans will be back in action on March 22, when they open up CCAC play by visiting the St. Francis Fighting Saints. First pitch for the doubleheader is set for 1:00 p.m.
