BANNOCKBURN, Ill.. --- After playing all their games away from their home field this season, the TIU baseball team returned to their home diamond on Tuesday afternoon for the first time since the fall of 2019 as they hosted the Lakers of Roosevelt University in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) doubleheader. After falling at Calumet St. Joseph last Wednesday and having their weekend series with Trinity Christian postponed, the Trojans were eager to return to action.

Kurtis Sippy would start on the mound for the Trojans in game one against a tough Lakers lineup. The right-hander would pitch most of the seven inning opener, but struggled to find the strike zone, giving up five walks, plus eight earned runs on seven hits. 

After falling behind 4-0 after the first inning, Trinity responded with an impressive three-run second, with Matt Pierson scoring on a bases loaded walk, Noah Waltz reaching bases on a fielder's choice to score Jalen Austin, and Luis Henriquez reaching home plate on a passed ball. It wouldn't be until the sixth inning when Andrew Johnson reached on an error by the Roosevelt left field that drove in Pierson that the Trojans would score again. 

Henriquez would notch his second run of the day as Lance Louchheim reached first on an infield error, while Julius Torres crossed home plate as Blake Lazaris reached on an error by the Lakers third baseman. Ultimately, Roosevelt's strong hitting and ability to identify pitching in and out of the zone would help them to a 9-6 win over TIU in the opener.

In game two, the Trojans would start Sam Willis, looking to bounce back from his first loss of the season. Things would not start well as the Lakers scratched two runs across the board in the first inning before hanging another nine on Willis over the next four frames. Trinity's defense would also struggle greatly committing four errors, all coming on the infield.

TIU's bats would remain cold for much of the second game with just six total hits in the contest. Samuel Edington would drive in the Trojan's only run of the game with an RBI single to left field in the sixth inning to bring home Torres. While TIU pitchers were able to reduce their walk rate from the opener, it wasn't enough to slow down the Laker bats as Roosevelt took game two to sweep the doubleheader by a final score of 11-1 in eight innings.

ADDITIONAL SERIES NOTES

• TIU falls to 13-15 all-time against Roosevelt after today's losses.

• With Trinity's losses, the Lakers take the regular season series against TIU 2-1. The Trojans won at Roosevelt on March 30 by a score of 5-4 at Ozinga Field.

• Kurtis Sippy falls to 1-4 on the season with the loss in game one.

• Matt Pierson led TIU with three hits, including one double in four plate appearances in game one, plus two runs scored. 

• Sam Willis' pitching record falls to 2-2 after taking the loss in game two.

• In addition to his lone RBI, Sam Edington led the Trojans with two hits in game two.

• Trinity has now been held to one or no runs four times this season after their game two loss today.

• Pierson's seven total plate appearances on the day moved him past Andrew Grotelueshen (2012-15) for the fifth most at bats in program history (458).

UP NEXT

The Trojans (8-13) return to the diamond on Friday, April 9 as they host the Fighting Saints of St. Francis for a single game. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00pm CST 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.