Box Score DEERFIELD, Ill. -- The Trinity International Trojans opened the home schedule in a big way Monday afternoon, recording their biggest win of the season by knocking off the Cardinal Stritch Wolves 9-2. Junior pitcher Daniel Wawrzyniak, in his first career start for TIU, pitched a complete game in the nine-inning matchup, scattering ten hits and a pair of earns runs for the win.
The seven-run margin is the largest for the Trojans (5-15, 2-6 CCAC) this season, and the largest in just over a full calendar year. The offense collected 13 hits on the day, the second-most in a single game this season.
Wawrzyniak, a junior transfer from Oakton CC, had made seven appearances out of the bullpen before getting the start on Monday. After a slightly shaky start in which Cardinal Stritch (6-13, 1-7 CCAC) collected seven hits over the first three innings, Wawrzyniak found his rhythm, shutting down the Wolves offense in order in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings, and retiring seven straight hitters at one point in the game.
The Trojan offense used a balanced attack to build a commanding lead through the middle innings. The 5-6-7 hitters for TIU,Adam Vignola, Andrew Grotelueschen, and Rafael Mendez, each collected a pair of RBI, and hit a combined 6-for-9 on the day. Vignola had the best day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two RBI, two runs scored, a pair of walks, and a stolen base. Eight of the nine spots in the lineup finished with at least one hit, as seven different Trojans contributed with at least one run scored.
A.J. Bruner finished 1-for-4 on the day, scoring a run in the third inning to extend his hitting streak to five games, the longest current streak by a Trojan, and just four games from the longest hit streak on the season for TIU. Center fielder Cameron Stanley also keeps his streak alive, reaching base in eight straight games after collecting a third-inning single.
The Trojans will hope to continue their winning ways during a busy week; TIU will now hit the road for a single game on Tuesday afternoon, when they head north to take on Concordia-Wisconsin. The nine-inning affair is set to take place in Mequon, Wisc., beginning at 4:00 p.m. TIU then returns to CCAC play on Wednesday afternoon, when they host Holy Cross in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.
