Tigers come from behind in weekend games; play today
By: Jonathan Batuello
Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: Sports
Coming from behind is something the No. 25 baseball team has done multiple times this season. Once again the team's mentality that it can always come back saved it from not making this upcoming weekend's Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.
After losing the first game 7-0 in a three-game series to Austin College, the Tigers were in a must-win situation. With the pressure, the team found its rhythm and pulled through with an 8-2 victory Saturday and a 6-0 victory Sunday in Millington, Tenn.
"We didn't panic [after the first game]," senior outfielder Matt Kleine said. "I think we were a little tight the next day coming out because we all knew what was at stake, but we put it behind us to win."
The start to the weekend was one of the hardest the Tigers have had to face in some time. Not only did the game go poorly, but there was a six-hour rain delay before it began. Once the game began, the Tigers faced one of the best pitching performances they have seen all year.
Austin's Cory Stevens held the Tigers to eight singles and zero runs, and compiled 10 strikeouts.
"I think he threw the game of his life," Kleine said. "The kid just really had it going for him that night and for whatever reason we didn't, but that's baseball and it happens."
The team responded quickly, as it never trailed in the next two games. In the second game, the Tigers found their offensive flow to put up five runs in the second inning, starting with senior Adam Ford's home run. The Tigers then put up one run in the third inning to go ahead 6-0 and two more in the fourth to be ahead 8-0.
"It's big when you go out and have that fire from when you first come out of the dugout," said sophomore designated hitter Mike Stout. "When you go out and get that score and just pour it on, it really sets the tone."
In the third game the team found its groove right from the start again. Sophomore Taylor Hoffman got it started when he walked, and then Kleine followed him up with a double. From there the Tigers put together four runs and never looked back behind senior pitcher Aaron Meyers' complete game shut-out.
Those two victories put the Tigers into this weekend's SCAC Tournament against Southwestern (Texas) University. If the Tigers win that tournament, the team would receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
The win also gave the Tigers the school record for wins, as they are now 30-9 on the season.
Before the weekend's tournament, the Tigers must play Wabash College in a double-header in Crawfordsville at 6 p.m. today.
"Going in we know we need to beat them," Stout said. "We are hoping to use that and beat them and take that we beat the crap out of Wabash to say, 'Let's go beat the crap out of Trinity.'"
After losing the first game 7-0 in a three-game series to Austin College, the Tigers were in a must-win situation. With the pressure, the team found its rhythm and pulled through with an 8-2 victory Saturday and a 6-0 victory Sunday in Millington, Tenn.
"We didn't panic [after the first game]," senior outfielder Matt Kleine said. "I think we were a little tight the next day coming out because we all knew what was at stake, but we put it behind us to win."
The start to the weekend was one of the hardest the Tigers have had to face in some time. Not only did the game go poorly, but there was a six-hour rain delay before it began. Once the game began, the Tigers faced one of the best pitching performances they have seen all year.
Austin's Cory Stevens held the Tigers to eight singles and zero runs, and compiled 10 strikeouts.
"I think he threw the game of his life," Kleine said. "The kid just really had it going for him that night and for whatever reason we didn't, but that's baseball and it happens."
The team responded quickly, as it never trailed in the next two games. In the second game, the Tigers found their offensive flow to put up five runs in the second inning, starting with senior Adam Ford's home run. The Tigers then put up one run in the third inning to go ahead 6-0 and two more in the fourth to be ahead 8-0.
"It's big when you go out and have that fire from when you first come out of the dugout," said sophomore designated hitter Mike Stout. "When you go out and get that score and just pour it on, it really sets the tone."
In the third game the team found its groove right from the start again. Sophomore Taylor Hoffman got it started when he walked, and then Kleine followed him up with a double. From there the Tigers put together four runs and never looked back behind senior pitcher Aaron Meyers' complete game shut-out.
Those two victories put the Tigers into this weekend's SCAC Tournament against Southwestern (Texas) University. If the Tigers win that tournament, the team would receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
The win also gave the Tigers the school record for wins, as they are now 30-9 on the season.
Before the weekend's tournament, the Tigers must play Wabash College in a double-header in Crawfordsville at 6 p.m. today.
"Going in we know we need to beat them," Stout said. "We are hoping to use that and beat them and take that we beat the crap out of Wabash to say, 'Let's go beat the crap out of Trinity.'"
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