BANNOCKBURN, Ill. --- After a split of Trinity Christian on Monday afternoon, the TIU baseball team returned home as they welcomed the IU-South Bend Titans to campus for a single, nine-inning Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) game on Thursday afternoon. Looking to find a spark with 11 days remaining in the regular season, the Trojans looked to find that spark against a quality Titans team that swept the two prior meetings this season in South Bend.

After a stellar hitting performance last weekend against Maranatha Baptist, Sam Willis looked to carry his offensive success of late to the mound as he started for Trinity. The senior right-hander got early relief from his teammates as Julius Torres scored Blake Lazaris and Luis Henriquez on a two-run single to right field to give TIU an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

From there on out, Willis would struggle walking two and hitting five batters while giving up seven runs to the Titans over the next two innings as IU-South Bend jumped ahead 7-2. With Christian Mackenzie in the game for the Trojans in relief, IUSB notched four more runs against the freshman to take an 11-2 lead after five.

After Lance Louchheim gave up one run in the top of the ninth, TIU was able to finish with a four-run inning, which began with Henriquez scoring on a fielder's choice, and followed with a Jose Matos three-run double to right field, scoring Torres, Sam Hardy, and Jalen Austin. The late push would not be enough as Trinity would drop the ball game by a final score of 12-6.
 

ADDITIONAL SERIES NOTES

• Thursday's loss to IU-South Bend evens TIU's all-time record against the Titans at six wins a piece.

• Sam Willis' took the loss in Thursday's game, dropping his pitching record to 3-3 on the season.

• Willis' three innings on the mound was his shortest pitching outing this season.

• Thursday's game marked the second time Willis has hit five batters on the mound. Willis previously hit five batters back on March 27 at Olivet Nazarene.

• Jose Matos led Trinity with four hits in his five plate appearances with three runs batted in.

• Blake Lazaris' two hits against the Titans give him 100 career hits. 

• Lazaris' stolen base was his ninth of the season, tying Zorion Pullen for the team-high this year. 

• Lazaris' double was his 12th of the season, tying him with Anthony Mendoza, Scott Lawson and Bryan Dovichi for the sixth most doubles in a single season.

• Thursday's game marked just the third game this season the Trojans did not give up a stolen base this year.

UP NEXT

The Trojans (12-20) return to action on tomorrow afternoon as they host the Saint Ambrose Fighting Bees at home in CCAC action. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00pm at the TIU Baseball Field, and 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.