DEERFIELD, Ill. - With the regular season coming to a close, and a chance at the CCAC Tournament on the line the TIU Baseball team earned a hard fought doubleheader split with Olivet Nazarene University. The Trojans opened the two game slate with an 8-5 win over the Tigers before suffering a 27-3 loss in game two on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman Pitcher Koby Chapman got the start for the Trojans on the mound, his first of his career and the Freshman did not disappoint. Chapman went 6 2/3 innings, allowing 5 hits and 4 earned runs to pick up his first career win.

It was a back and forth game all afternoon long, but it was the Trojans who opened the game quickly, tallying three runs in the first inning. RBI base hits from Blake Lazaris and Emmanuel Andujar gave TIU a 3-0 lead early.

ONU battled back with a pair of home runs in the third and fourth inning to tie the game 3-3 midway through.

Despite giving up the early the lead the Trojan offense rose to the occasion in the middle innings, scoring five unanswered runs to take a lead they would not relinquish. Michael Balistreri and Matt Pierson each had RBI doubles to propel the Trojans to an 8-3 lead.

In the bottom of the 7th inning the Tigers began to rally, scoring a pair of runs and loading the bases after getting back within three runs. After the departure of Chapman, Freshman Nick Venegas came on to pitch for TIU, shutting the door and picking up the save in an 8-5 victory.

The Trojans are back in action on Monday as their pursuit for a postseaosn birth continues on.