CRESTWOOD, Ill.. — Yesterday the Trojans took a short trip south to face conference rival, Roosevelt University, in their CCAC-opener. In a doubleheader heartbreaker, Trinity lost both games by a single run.

Game One: TIU 1, RU 2
A tough defensive stand by both teams resulted in four innings of scoreless baseball and minimal hits as the pitching stayed in lock step as well. Trinity drew first blood, scoring in the top of the fifth inning. Leading off for the Trojans, Jimmy Cisneros took his base before Addison Hickman swapped him out as pinch runner. Veteran Julius Torres reached first after an error by the Lakers' pitcher and Hickman moved into scoring position. Next at the plate, Jonathan Kumai hit a sac fly as Hickman crossed home. Roosevelt matched the score in the bottom of the inning.

The following three innings saw just two hits, one from each team, before extra innings.

Riley Murphy doubled to left field in the top of the eight, setting up Alfonso Gomez to  send him home but the Lakers defense stood tall again.

In the ninth inning, Torres smashed a triple over center field before Kumai was hit by the pitch. Trojan slugger Blake Lazaris stepped to the plate, aiming towards right field to finish the game but came up short as the defender made the catch. The Lakers connected on back to back hits in the bottom of the inning to claim the walk-off victory.

Max Amendt took the result for the Trojans, going the distance while striking out six and allowing five hits.


Game Two: TIU 2, RU 3
Throughout the game, both teams posted impressive defensive efforts with just one error throughout the seven innings by the Lakers.

The Trojans took the lead in the third inning with another sac fly from Jonathan Kumai. Brady Popovich and Julius Torres both nabbed singles before Kumai stepped up to set up the play.

In the fourth, the Lakers took a 2-1 advantage after a home run with a runner on base. A double play from third baseman Lazaris got the Trojans out of the inning to regroup.

Trinity recorded two hits in the fifth inning and with the help of a wild pitch, evened the score 2-2.

A well-placed sac bunt from the Lakers in the bottom of the sixth inning advanced what would prove to be the game winning run.

Michael Zelko went for 5.1 innings, allowing five hits and three runs. Seth Lewallen came in for relief midway through the final inning.

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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.