DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Following a pitcher's duel in game one, the hitters were featured in the game two of a doubleheader against the Cardinal Stritch Wolves on Tuesday afternoon, but the Trojans came up just short in both, falling to the Wolves 3-0 in the first game, and 12-10 in the nightcap.
Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2Ryan Helmeid pitched all seven innings of the opener, allowing just one earned run while striking out five. Cardinal Stritch got the advantage with a two-out error from the Trojan defense, allowing a pair of runs to score. At the plate, TIU managed just three hits, highlighted by
Cameron Stanley's triple to right-center in the 3rd inning.
Cardinal Stritch took an early lead in the second game of the day, after a three-run home run in the top of the 1st.
Scott Krawiec got one of those runs back for the Trojans in the bottom of the 2nd, by drawing a two-out walk with the bases loaded. CSU then added to their lead with runs in the 3rd and 4th to claim a 5-1 edge.
A two-out rally helped TIU pick up another run in the bottom of the 4th. Krawiec's infield single and a walk from
Jeff Lindberg set the table for
Adam Vignola, whose RBI single to left made it a three-run margin.
A two-out, two-RBI triplewas the highlight of a three-run
top of the 6th for Stritch, giving the Wolves their biggest lead of the day at 8-2. The big advantage didn't last, however as the Trojans answered with three of their own in the bottom half of the frame. Edward Piotrowski hit an infield single down the third-base line with the bases loaded for the first run of the inning. Austin Galley reached on a fielder's choice in the next at-bat, but an overthrown ball to first as the Wolves looked to get the double play resulted in the second of two runs coming home to score, and reducing the CSU lead back down to three, 8-5.
In the bottom of the 7th, a pair of singles from Justin VanderNaald and Evan Athanasiou allowed Stanley to drive in an RBI with a ground ball to first. Having closed the deficit to two, Cardinal Stritch responded with three runs on three hits in the top of the 8th to claim a 11-6 lead.
The Trojans answered with four runs of their own in the 8th, with RBIs from Jon Grotelueschen and Athanasiou. With two out in the frame, a CSU wild pitch resulted in two runs coming home for Trinity, making it a one-run game. Stritch managed an insurance run in the top of the 9th, and despite Vignola's leadoff double, TIU were unable to tie the game in their last trip to the plate.
Vignola finished game two going 3-for-3 with three walks, reaching base safely in every plate apperance. Krawiec, VanderNaald, and Andrew and Jon Grotelueschen all picked up two hits in the game.
Trinity International continue their current homestand with another doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. The Trojans will play host to the St. Francis Saints on April 8, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
