Bats silenced as Trojans fall in doubleheader to Panthers
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Box Score 2 Season StatsWESTVILLE, Ind. -- In a pair of games essential to the Trojans' playoff hopes, Trinity International took two tough losses Wednesday afternoon, falling to the Purdue-North Central Panthers. TIU first dropped a pitcher's duel, 3-2, then in a 10-0 game that saw PNC pitchers allow just two hits to the Trojan offense.
The Trojans (10-25, 6-16) held an early lead in the opener, as
Cameron Stanley and
Rafael Mendez each knocked a one-out single to start the top of the first. After Stanley stole third base for his sixth swipe of the season,
Adam Gomski drove in the TIU center fielder for the 1-0 edge.
Coming off his complete-game victory four days ago, freshman pitcher
Jeremiah Carter looked strong again on Wednesday. The Irvine, Calif. native pitched all six innings in the first game, working around nine hits to allow three runs. The Panthers (18-23-1, 9-12 CCAC) rallied for all three of their runs in the bottom of the fifth, where a trio of walks with two outs in the frame got Carter in trouble.
Trinity answered in the top of the seventh, as a leadoff walk from
Tony Guidone, followed by a PNC fielding error and a bunt single from Stanley set the table for a Trojan rally. Guidone scored on a wild pitch to bring TIU within a run with no outs and two runners still on base. A 4-6-3 double play ended the threat, however, as TIU fell to 5-4 in one-run games this season.
The TIU offense struggled in game two, collecting just two hits as PNC's Brendan Spongberg worked a no-hitter into the fourth inning, before
Adam Vignola's single gave the Trojans their first base hit of the game.
Purdue-North Central struck early, taking a 1-0 lead after the first inning, before adding two more runs in the fourth and three runs in the fifth. A four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh ended the game on the run-rule in favor of the Panthers.
The Trojans return home on Friday, when they host CCAC leaders Judson in a single game beginning at 3:30 p.m. TIU then makes the return trip to Elgin on Saturday, where they will face the Eagles in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
