BANNOCKBURN, Ill.. --- Less than 18 hours after battling through chilling winds on their home diamond, the TIU baseball team returned to action on Wednesday afternoon as they battled the Cougars of Saint Xavier University in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play in a doubleheader. Coming off their fourth straight loss after falling to St. Francis (IL) a day earlier, the Trojans were eager to snap their losing skid and pick up a much needed win.

Right-hander Dominik Olech took the mound starting for Trinity in game one looking to provide a spark for TIU to find the strike zone. Despite allowing four walks, the junior hurler struck out six Cougar batters in the opening game of the afternoon. 

The Trojans would crack the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second inning as left fielder Sam Willis scored from third as Lance Louchheim reached base on an error by the SXU shortstop. TIU would earn their second run on a RBI single by Julius Torres to right field to score Luis Henriquez. That unfortunately would be all the Trojans would put together as Saint Xavier would score six straight runs starting with a two-run home run in the top of the third. Despite finding more offense than their previous outing, the Trojans would be unable to match SXU's offensive output, dropping game one by a final score of 6-2 in seven innings.

After starting in the outfield for the opener, Sam Willis transitioned to the pitcher's mound for game two as the Trojan starter. Despite five walks, Willis punched out five Cougars at the plate while allowing just two runs in eight full innings of work. Wednesday's second game would take on the role of a pitcher's duel as SXU's Nick Crowe with neither pitcher hardly giving much up to the other.

It would be Willis himself who would break the scoring open first with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning to give Trinity a 1-0 lead. After the Cougars tied the game on a sacrifice fly to left, TIU took the lead for a second time as Blake Lazaris picked up a run after being obstructed at home plate in the sixth. 

Henriquez would deliver the Trojan's next punch with a solo home run of his own to left field to put TIU up 3-1 in the seventh. Evan Orzech would pull Saint Xavier back within a run with a sacrifice fly to center field, but Jio Ledesma would enter the game in the ninth inning, retiring the Cougars 6-7-8 batters in order to nail down the save and preserve the 3-2 win for the Trojans.

ADDITIONAL SERIES NOTES

• With Tuesday's split, the Trojans earned just their fifth win all-time against Saint Xavier with their game two victory. TIU's last win against SXU came in game one of a doubleheader on March 19, 2016 and snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Cougars.

• Dominik Olech's loss in game one drops his record to 0-1 this season. Tuesday's opener was Olech's seventh appearance this season on the mound and first decision.

• Sam Willis' win in game two improves his record to 2-2 on the year, and snaps a two-game losing streak as Trinity's pitcher of record.

• Willis' home run in game two on Tuesday was his fourth of the season and sixth of his career. 

• In addition to his game two home run, Willis recorded two doubles to right-center field in TIU's game one loss. The senior has now notched seven extra base hits this year.

• Luis Henriquez's solo home run in the seventh inning of game two was his second of the year, and the fifth of his career.

• Jio Ledesma's game two save was the first of his career at TIU.

• Trinity's three runs in game two marked the fewest runs the Trojans have scored in a win this season. It is also the fewest runs scored in a Trojan win since TIU edged IU-South Bend 2-1 in game one of a doubleheader on April 13, 2019 in Deerfield.

UP NEXT

The Trojans (9-16) will have another quick turnaround as they prepare for their third doubleheader in three days as they visit the Fighting Saints of St. Francis in CCAC play tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00pm at DuPage Medical Group Field in Joliet, and can be watched LIVE on USF SportsNet.

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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.