BOURBONNAIS, Ill. --- The Trojan baseball team hit the road on Saturday morning as they battled the Tigers of Olivet Nazarene University in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play. After splitting IU-South Bend on Tuesday, the Trojans looked to continue to build on their early successes in league play. 

Sam Willis would start game one on the mound for the Trojans, looking to build off his 2-0 pitching record. Trinity struck first with a four-run first inning with Julius Torres scoring as Matt Pierson reached base on an infield error, Brendan Lacey driving in Noah Waltz on an RBI single to center field, and Andrew Johnson bringing home Jose Matos on a single to the outfield. ONU would respond with a three-run showing in the bottom of the first, followed by four more runs in the second, including a three-run home run by the Tiger's Terry Daniels to give ONU a 7-4 lead.

After the Tigers scored three additional runs in the fifth inning, TIU got back on the board as Jalen Austin scored on a Johnson single to left. Luis Henriquez and Torres would also notch an RBI each to pull the Trojans within four runs at 10-6 in the sixth inning. Unfortunately, that would be all the offense Trinity could produce in the seven inning opener, as the Tigers tacked on six more runs off of two extra base hits, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly to hand the Trojans the 16-7 loss.

In game two, Kurtis Sippy earned starting duties, looking to lead TIU back after a tough opening game. After giving up five runs through the first three innings, Torres got the Trojans on the board with a three-run double to clear the bases to score Dominik Olech, Lacey and Henriquez. Torres would pull Trinity within a run at 5-4 after Blake Lazaris reached base on an error by the Tiger second baseman, allowing the TIU left fielder to cross home plate.

Austin Salemi would replace Sippy on the mound in the sixth inning and give up four of the next five ONU runs on three walks and three hits. Jio Ledesma pitched the final two frames for Trinity, allowing a final run to score on a sacrifice fly to center field, closing out the second game of the day and handing the Trojans the 10-6 loss.

ADDITIONAL SERIES NOTES

• With today's losses, the Trojans fall to 4-29 all-time against Olivet Nazarene. The two losses mark the 13th and 14th consecutive losses to the Tigers.

• Julius Torres led Trinity offensively on the day with five hits in seven plate appearances, two runs scored, four runs batted in, one stolen base, and two doubles, which were TIU's only extra base hits in the doubleheader.

• Matt Pierson's eight at bats on the day move him past Adam Gomski (2014-17) for the seventh most plate appearances in program history (445).

• Pierson's lone hit on the day in game two tied him with Gomski for third on the program's all-time hit list (152).

• With an RBI in game one, Pierson earned his 84th run batted in of his TIU career, passing Paul Wilson (2008-11) for fourth most in TIU history.

• Sam Willis' pitching record falls to 2-1 on the season with the loss in game one.

• TIU gave up a total of six doubles and two home runs in their game one loss.

• Kurtis Sippy falls to 1-4 on the year with the pitching loss in game two.

• The Trojans struck out 13 times at the plate in game two, while ONU batters were fanned just five times.

• Game two marked just the third time this season the Trojans did not commit a defensive error in a game.

UP NEXT

The Trojans (7-10) will return to action on Tuesday afternoon as they visit the Roosevelt Lakers for a single game at Crestwood's Ozinga Field. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00pm CST from TIU Baseball Field, and can be streamed LIVE on the Laker Sports Network.

Visit TIUtrojans.com to stay up to date with the latest TIU baseball news and schedule updates.

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Trinity International University is a comprehensive, national university affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America and located in Bannockburn, Illinois, 25 miles north of Chicago. TIU educates men and women to engage in God's redemptive work in the world by cultivating academic excellence, Christian faithfulness and lifelong learning.