BANNOCKBURN, Ill.. --- After a week of wet weather conditions postponing three games, the TIU baseball team returned to action on the Deerfield campus on Tuesday afternoon as they hosted the Fighting Saints of St. Francis in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) action for a single, nine inning game. Riding a three-game skid, the Trojans looked to snap their losing streak at home after a week away from the diamond.
In his ninth appearance on the mound this season, Kurtis Sippy started the game for Trinity, but struggled to find the strike zone in six full innings of work. The right-handed senior pitcher would walk four Saints on the afternoon, as well as hit two batters. St. Francis would score at least one run in all but two innings in the nine inning game, aiding by three TIU infield errors.
Trinity's offense would struggle on the day, amassing just six hits on the afternoon. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, left fielder Sam Willis made sure the Trojans wouldn't be shut out as he launched a two-run homerun over the left field fence to give TIU it's first set of runs on the day. It would not be enough though however as the Fighting Saints would roll to a 9-2 victory over Trinity.
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ADDITIONAL SERIES NOTES
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Sam Willis' ninth inning home run was his third of the season, and fifth of his career. The senior leads the team in home runs.
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Willis' home run drove in his fifth and sixth runs of the season. Tuesday's game was Willis' second game this year with multiple runs batted in during a single game.
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Jalen Austin, who walked prior to Willis' two-run home run, scored his tenth run of the season in the ninth inning.
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Julius Torres, who played both center field and pitched in relief during the eighth and ninth innings, led TIU defensively with seven putouts in the loss. Matt Pierson recorded six putouts at first base, while Blake Lazaris and Luis Henriquez each assisted on three putouts at third base and shortstop respectively.
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TIU falls to 8-23 all-time against St. Francis with Tuesday's loss.
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The Trojans drop to 0-5 this season at home. This includes two games played at Judson earlier this season with Trinity as the designated home team.
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Kurtis Sippy falls to 1-5 on the year with the loss on the mound.
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UP NEXT
The Trojans (8-14) will have a quick turnaround as they return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon to take on the Saint Xavier Cougars in CCAC play. TIU and SXU will finish their March 17 game suspended by rain at 12:00pm, with the Trojans leading 7-6 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning. That suspended game will be followed by a scheduled doubleheader at around 1:00pm. Both games of the doubleheader can be watched LIVE on the Trojan Sports Network.
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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.
