ADRIAN, Mich. - The Trine University baseball team dropped their opening game of the MIAA Tournament in heartbreaking fashion to rival Adrian College, the No. 2 seed, 5-4.
Trine (22-19), the No. 3 seed in the tournament, jumped out to an early lead as they plated a pair of runs in the first inning. Recently named Second Team All-MIAA freshman Carter Stafford (Waterloo, Ind./DeKalb) led off the game with a single. After senior Matt Zurbriggen (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) was hit by a pitch, fellow senior Tom Wilder (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield) would drive in the game's first run on a single to center. Sophomore Jordan Baer (Fort Wayne, Ind./Leo) would follow with a single of his own to give the Thunder a 2-0 advantage.
Adrian would get a run back in the second on a fielder's choice after the first two batters of the inning reached base.
The Thunder would get the run right back in the third as Stafford led off the inning reaching on an error. After stealing second, one out later Wilder would drive in Stafford again on a single to right center.
Trine would score for the second straight inning as freshman Kory Shackle (Butler, Ohio/Mount Vernon) led off the fourth with a single. After a sacrifice by sophomore Ethan Prebynski (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb), one out later junior Jeff Phillips (Prospect, Ohio/Marion Pleasant) doubled down the left field line to score Shackle from second.
The scoring would begin to cool off as the game turned into a pitcher's duel between Trine senior Jake Rightnowar (Oregon, Ohio/Toledo Christian) and Adrian's Rylie Robinson.
After four innings of neither team scoring, the Bulldogs would plate four runs in the bottom of the eighth on four hits and two Trine errors. Two of the runs came with two outs, including the game-winner on a bases loaded hit by pitch.
Wilder led the Thunder at the dish with a pair of hits in the game while also driving in a pair of runs.
Rightnowar lasted 7 1/3 innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits while striking out three. Senior Nick Cocanower (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) took the loss to drop his record to 1-2 on the year as he went 2/3 an inning, allowing two unearned runs on two hits.
Trine will now face Calvin in an elimination game at 1:00 p.m. on May 9 at Hope, with the winner playing immediately after.