From Trinity University Sports Information
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - No. 15 Trinity University Baseball picked up its first victory of the 2022 campaign Saturday night as it defeated this weekend's host, No. 7 Birmingham-Southern College, 7-4, in the BSC Classic.
The Tigers (1-1) pressured the base paths with 11 combined walks Saturday night. Trinity reached double-digit free passes four times last season, the last came in game two of the Sul Ross State University series on March 13, 2021.
Junior leftfielder Ezra Gore (Dallas, Texas / McKinney North) collected a trio of RBI as he led off the seventh with his second career home run, then scored a pair on an infield single in the eighth. In both instances, the dual-sport athlete added necessary insurance runs.
Senior second baseman Jack Wisniewski (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) erased Friday night's slow start with a two-RBI base hit with just one out in the game, which held the Trinity lead up to Gore's solo shot. He went on to log a pair of stolen bases and scored on a wild pitch in the ninth.
Sophomore righthander Harrison Durow (Dallas, Texas / Lovejoy) collected the Tigers' first mound victory of the campaign with five innings of work and a career-high 10 strikeouts to just one run. Fellow sophomore Joseph Chavana (Laredo, Texas / J.B. Alexander) notched his second career save with four clean outs and a pair of strikeouts to close it out.
No. 15 Trinity Baseball has a quick turnaround for a bout with No. 9 Washington University (MO) Sunday to conclude the 2022 BSC Classic. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m.
The Rundown
Unlike Friday night's season-opener, the Tigers jumped onto the scoreboard right away after back-to-back walks to start the game set the table for Wisniewski to knock in Gore and junior third baseman MJ Metz (San Diego, Calif. / Canyon Crest) on a base hit to right.
Durow took the hill with Wisniewski's two-run advantage and prevented Panther baserunners from getting past second base over the first three frames while he collected eight strikeouts over the first nine outs. A one-out solo shot in the bottom of the fourth was all the damage Durow let up from the mound in his first victory of the season.
A clean sixth inning for senior reliever Joel Thomas (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Horizon) set the stage for Gore's lead-off homer, the third of his career, and double the Trinity advantage, 3-1. The Panthers slipped their second run in on an awkward high bounce to third in the seventh despite a valiant effort from Metz who was lined up deep with two outs on the board.
Metz drew his third walk of the night to load the bases with two outs in the eighth behind senior first baseman Jack Vonderhaar (Woodinville, Wash. / Redmond) who collected a one-out base hit and senior shortstop Michael Montrezza (Los Gatos, Calif. / Leigh) who walked as well. Gore extended the Trinity lead again as he legged out his infield single that scored both Vonderhaar and Montrezza.
Chavana stepped up to the mound to cut off a Panther rally in the eighth after two BSC runners found the plate to put the game back to just a one-run margin. Thomas exited after two and two-thirds with a strikeout to six hits.
Wisniewski led off the ninth with a walk, followed by another for senior rightfielder Brian Schaub (Hatfield, Pa. / La Salle). The duo advanced on back-to-back wild pitches, scoring Wisniewski. Sophomore Ty Preston (Pearland, Texas / Pearland) collected a pinch-hit sac fly to score Schaub and return to a three-run advantage.
Chavana collected his second career save in four clean outs of work, including back-to-back strikeouts to slam the door on the Panthers.
Up Next
No. 15 Trinity Baseball wraps up the 2022 Birmingham-Southern Classic Sunday morning against No. 9 Washington University. The Tigers return to San Antonio Friday, February 25 for the 2022 home-opener, the first of a three-game set with Babson College (MA), scheduled for a 7 p.m. first pitch.