By Caleb Reed
Trinity’s Will Hellings getting ready to throw during game 1 (photo by Caleb Reed)
The Trinity Tigers baseball team took two wins against the University of Dallas Crusaders in a three-game conference series over the weekend, sweeping the final day of action as Trinity extended their lead in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) to 14-4.
Trinity’s high-scoring offense was held in check during the first game on Friday, as defense ruled the day in Trinity’s 0-1 loss. It wasn’t an ideal start for the Tigers, who were celebrating Senior Weekend in their final home series of the regular season.
One of the seniors, Joseph Chavana, was the starter for Trinity in Game One, going seven innings and surrendering the game’s lone run in the fourth inning. The Tigers could not respond after Dallas took a one-run lead as Crusaders pitcher Adrian Montenegro only allowed three hits on the evening.
Rain forecast delayed Saturday’s games by one day. Following storms on Saturday night, the teams played the Sunday double-header under clear skies and calm conditions, a departure from the high-humidity, overcast conditions during Friday’s game. The artificial turf of the Trinity field stood up to the rain.
Junior Jackson Teer started the afternoon for Trinity on the mound, facing off against Dallas’s Dylan Krause. After being shut out in Game One, the Tigers pounced on Dallas in Game Two with six runs in the bottom of the second inning. The scoring would come in twos as Ty Preston, Kai Tinker, and Nicholas Lazzara all had two Runs Batted In (RBI) on hits during the inning, giving Trinity the early 6-0 lead.
Trinity would cool off as Krause regained his early-game form, lasting another three innings before finally leaving the game. Conversely, Teer maintained his impressive performance, allowing just five hits over his seven innings. When Krause left in the bottom of the sixth inning, it brought up Dallas Pitcher Landon Phillips, who the Tigers quickly hit around. Phillips allowed a hit and two runs (one unearned) to the Trinity lineup, giving the Tigers an eight-run lead before he left after just one inning of work.
Trinity sealed Game Two of Sunday with another two-run inning, defeating the Crusaders in a 10-0 shutout. With this win, Trinity secured their 26th win of the season and 20th win at home in 2024. The team tied the series at one game apiece.
The work wasn’t over for Trinity, as they still had the third and final game to decide the series and the final home game for 22 seniors. Trinity sophomore Trajan Lee got the starting nod for Game Three and was dominant on the mound, tallying seven strikeouts over the afternoon while only allowing four hits. Trinity once again rode an inning filled with offensive power as their bottom of the third gave the Tigers an impressive 5-0 lead to take Dallas starter Marcelo Carillo II out of the game and put pressure on the Crusaders.
Both offenses stalled during the middle of the game, with both teams going scoreless through the next three innings. Trinity would get back on top once again with an three-run bottom of the seventh inning, making the lead 8-0 and raising the potential of a second-straight game won on the run rule. Senior Brett Jones walked up to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning with the bases loaded and hit a single out to left field, securing back-to-back walk-off run-rule victories for both the Tigers and Jones in his final home outing.
Sunday was also Senior Day, where senior players graduating in May were recognized and celebrated. After the game, Tiger players and parents stood outside the batting cages to speak on the contributions of the seniors, celebrating the players and their accomplishments as well as fun stories.
“I’ve learned so much from you both on the field and during our time spent together off the field,” said sophomore infielder Cam Champness to senior infielder Colt Harris. “Whether it’s playing a game of FIFA with each other, talking about the latest Liverpool matches or just hanging out, it’s truly been an honor sharing the field with you.”
“One thing that sums up Ethan Clark is dedication,” junior pitcher Jack Briese said about senior pitcher Ethan Clark. “His dedication through injury and adversity, he’s always there. I think that speaks a lot to the person he is and his dedication to the program.”
Junior outfielder Maddox McDonald said about senior outfielder Jack Peterson, “Jack welcomed me with open arms and this program always supported me and pushed me to be the best player I can be. You’ve always been someone I’ve looked up to. I consider your brother, and this team’s not going to feel the same without you.”
Trinity now takes a commanding lead over the rest of the SCAC with just four games left before the conference tournament in early May. The Tigers (14-4) stand above the Centenary College Gents (12-5) with the Southwestern University Pirates hot on their heels at 12-6. Trinity will play a game against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, before traveling to Shreveport, Louisiana, to play Centenary in the final conference series of the season.
The Roar 
Leave a comment