DAVENPORT, Iowa --- The TIU baseball team took on the Saint Ambrose Fighting Bees on Friday and Saturday afternoon in a three-game series in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play. Entering the series after a six-run home loss to IU-South Bend, the Trojans looked to bounce back and steal a game from the CCAC's top team.

In game one on Friday in Deerfield, freshman Noah Waltz took to the mound to lead off the weekend in his first pitching appearance in three weeks. After a scoreless first inning, the Bees unloaded with a nine run second frame, putting TIU into a deep deficit early. Trinity responded in the bottom of the second with Julius Torres scoring on a sacrifice fly by Jalen Austin, and an RBI single by Sam Edington to bring home Luis Henriquez. 

Catcher Andrew Johnson flew out to right field in the fourth inning to score Torres, before Austin notched his second RBI of the game on a single to left to score Zorion Pullen. Despite keeping the Bees off the scoreboard for four innings, SAU would score three more runs late to take game one of the series 12-4.

Jio Ledesma would start the first game of Saturday's doubleheader at Davenport's Modern Woodman Park, seeking his second win of the season. Lance Louchheim would drive home Matt Pierson in the top of the second inning to tie the game at one run a piece, before Austin scored on a wild pitch to give TIU a brief 2-1 lead. 

The Bees would come back however with four runs in the second inning to take a 5-2 lead. In the third, Pierson would go yard with a home run to left field, providing Trinity with their third and final run of the game, as Saint Ambrose would tack six additional runs on the board to take game one of the doubleheader by an 11-3 score.

In the series finale, the Trojans turned to freshman Noah Anderson in just his third pitching appearance of the year. The Bees would take an early 1-0 lead before Johnson scored Pierson on a sacrifice fly to center field to even the game at one in the second inning. It wouldn't be until the top of the fifth with SAU leading 5-2 that TIU would score again, this time with Torres reaching base on an infield error allowing Pullen to cross home plate. Trinity would scratch across two additional runners in the inning as Blake Lazaris grounding out to the shortstop scoring Henriquez, and Edington bringing home Torres on a fielder's choice. 

Saint Ambrose continued to swing the bat well and take advantage of the Trojan bullpen by scoring eight runs over the next four frames. Torres would provide TIU with one final run in the top of the ninth reaching on a fielder's choice to score Waltz from third as a pinch runner to close out a 13-5 loss for the Trojans.

ADDITIONAL SERIES NOTES

• With the three losses to Saint Ambrose, the Trojans fall to 2-17 all-time against the Bees.

• Matt Pierson's three hits on the weekend give him 170 for his career, passing Paul Wilson (2008-11) as the program's all-time leader.

• With the loss in Friday's series opener, Noah Waltz falls to 1-3 on the mound this season.

• Julius Torres notched three extra base hits in the three game series, including a pair of doubles on Friday and in Saturday's first game, plus a triple on Friday. It was the centerfielder's fifth and sixth doubles of the season and third triple of the year.

• Torres' triple on Friday moves him into a tie for fourth most career triples in program history.

• Blake Lazaris led the Trojans with three hits in five plate appearances in Friday's game.

• Jio Ledesma's pitching record falls to 3-3 after taking the loss in Saturday's first game.

• Pierson's home run in Saturday's opener was his first of the season, and eighth of his career.

• Pierson's home run on Saturday tied him with Pete Miller (2009-10) and Adam Vignola (2013-16) for ninth most in program history.

• Noah Anderson's (0-1) loss was the first decision of his collegiate career.

• Zorion Pullen's stolen base in game two of Saturday's doubleheader was his tenth of the season, the most among his teammates this year. 

UP NEXT

The Trojans (23) return to action on Monday afternoon as they host the Crimson Wave of Calumet St. Joseph at home in a CCAC doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00pm at the TIU Baseball Field, and can be watched LIVE on the Trojan 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.