ALBION, Mich.-- Trine's bats powered the Thunder to a big victory in game one, but Albion rallied late to take game two and earn the split in an MIAA-doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Frank Joranko Field.
Trine rapped out 15 hits on the way to a 13-3 victory in game one, before Albion fought back with a four runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn a 6-5 walk-off victory in game two. Jordan Baer (Fort Wayne, Ind./Leo) and Drew Palmer (Hartford, Wisc./Hartford Union) each had big days at the plate for the Thunder. Baer finished the day with five hits and five RBIs, while Palmer totaled four hits and drove in five runs. Michael Fischbach had three hits, including the game-winner in game two for the Britons. Trine is now 7-9 overall, 3-3 in MIAA play. Albion is 8-8 overall, 2-4 in conference play.
Game One: Trine 13, Albion 3
The Thunder scored early and often on their way to the 10-run victory.
Trine scored four runs in each of the first two frames. Palmer got the Thunder on the board in the first with a two-run double. Colton Conn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill) and Kyle Auernhamer (Vassar, Mich./Vassar) added RBIs on fielder's choices. Trine took advantage of two Briton errors in the inning.
The Thunder scored three runs on four hits and a walk before Albion could record an out in the second. RBI-singles by Ethan Prebynski (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) and Baer, followed by an RBI-double by Palmer made the score 7-0. Conn later added an RBI-single to make the score 8-0 through an inning and a half.
Conn added an RBI-single in the fourth to finish with a three-hit, three-RBI performance. Palmer added two more run-scoring hits to rack up a four-RBI game. Baer and Zach Thorn (Portage, Ind./Portage) also added to the offensive output with RBIs later in the contest.
Prebynski moved into fourth in hits in the Division-III era at Trine, which dates to 2005. The senior now has 129 hits in his collegiate career. Baer is now third in doubles in the Division-III era with 24.
Andy Farrell (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/St. Vincent St. Mary) picked up the victory with the complete game effort. The sophomore scattered seven hits, walked two and struck out four to pick up his first victory of the season.
Shane Lindemann knocked in all three Briton runs, and finished with two hits.
Game Two: Albion 6, Trine 5
Four runs in the bottom of the seventh brought the Britons back to earn the split.
Albion scored single runs in the first two innings to take the early lead. Fischbach knocked in Lindemann with an RBI-single in the first and Jack Wyman scored on a wild pitch in the second.
The Thunder broke through against Briton starter Zach Maresh in the fifth. Baer's final double of the day plated two runs with two outs to tie the score. He later came in to score on a wild pitch to give Trine the 3-2 lead.
The Thunder plated two more in the sixth after loading the bases with one out. Prebynski brought in a run with a groundout, before an infield single by Baer gave Trine a three-run lead.
Albion rallied back in the bottom of the seventh to earn the victory. Chase Carpenter cut the Briton deficit to two with an RBI-single with none out. Albion would go on to load the bases before the first out was recorded. Fischbach then doubled down the left field line to score two, with Lindemann coming in with the winning run on a throwing error on the play.
The two teams are slated to conclude their MIAA series tomorrow at Trine's Jannen Field. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.