NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Trevecca baseball team (5-6) took two close games from University of Indianapolis (1-4) on Saturday, March 7. Both games were scheduled for seven innings, but game one went two extra innings before the Trojans scored the game-winner in the ninth for a 5-4 win. Game two appeared on the same path before the Trojans pushed across the game winner in the bottom of the seventh for another 5-4 win.

GAME ONE?

Both teams played a strong defense, holding the offense at bay over the first three innings.

In the top of the fourth, UIndy's Blake Thomas hit a single to right field. Sean McCracken followed with a double to left center that scored Thomas, giving the Hounds a 1-0 lead.

Hunter Newman (JR/Chapmansboro, Tenn.) answered with a solo homerun off the first pitch in the bottom of the fourth.

In the top of the fifth, the Hounds Storm Joop singled, moved to second on a David Gunst bunt, then scored on a double from Colin Hawk. Alex Ritchie, who walked ahead of Hawk's double, moved to third. Brady Thomas connected on another double driving in Ritchie and Hawk. The Hounds led 4-1 until the bottom of the sixth.

Hunter Newman got on base when Matthew Kaplanis plunked him and Chad Sutton (FR/Independence, Mo.) made it count with a double to left field that moved Newman to third. Ethan Hurt (SO/Pegram, Tenn.) singled to right center scoring Newman and resting Sutton at third. Hurt stole second on a pitch before Sutton snuck home after a wild pitch, tying the game at 4-4.  ???

Michael Purcell (SR/New Johnsonville, Tenn.), who started the game for the Trojans, gave way to Ivey Starling (JR/Brentwood, Tenn.) in the seventh. Starling pitched three nearly perfect innings, allowing just one hit and striking out seven.

The Hounds held the Trojans in the seventh to push the game to extra innings, but in the ninth, Trevecca scored the game winner.

Tyler Burns (FR/Tullahoma, Tenn.) walked and then scored on a Hunter Newman walk-off double for a 5-4 Trojan win.

Starling is now 2-0 while Brett Collins (0-1) took the loss for the Hounds. Purcell pitched six innings and gave up seven hits, four runs, two walks, and struck out six.

Hunter Newman was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. He hit his fifth home run and sixth double of the year. Ethan Hurt was 3-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI. Hurt picked up his third stolen base of the year and added his fifth double.

Both teams collected eight hits and UIndy had the game's only error.

GAME TWO?

Neither team scored in the first, but the teams combined to score five in the second.

UIndy struck first when Daniel Lee doubled, Storm Joop singled, and Trevor Forde delivered a RBI single. Colin Hawk singled to put UIndy up 2-0.

Ethan Hurt walked and stole second before Bryson Shelton (SO/Powell, Tenn. ) walked. A sac fly moved Hurt to third. Ryan Arington (SO/Cincinnati, Ohio) dropped a bunt down scoring Hurt from third. Carter Wiseman (FR/Hendersonville, Tenn.) moved Shelton and Arington up a base with a sacrifice bunt and Tyler Tichenor (JR/Centertown, Ky) found the gap in center field to drive in Arington and Shelton, giving Trevecca a 3-2 lead after two innings of play.

Each team scored a run in the third for a 4-3 TNU lead.

Zach Jacobs singled and scored on a Daniel Lee double.

Hurt singled to left field for Trevecca, Bryson Shelton singled, and Zach Tompkins (JR/Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) hit a sacrifice fly that scored Hurt.

Luke Andrade scored for the Hounds on a double from Alex Ritchie to tie the game at 4-4 going to the bottom of the sixth.

In the bottom of the seventh Trevecca secured the win after Chad Sutton led off the inning with a walk. Hurt singled and Shelton walked to load the bases. Zach Tompkins hit a sac fly to left to score Sutton and give the Trojans a 5-4 win in game two.

Tyler Burns, Ethan Hurt, and Bryson Shelton all had two-hit games. Tyler Tichenor was 1-4 with his fourth stolen base and had two RBI. Burns was 2-3 with a walk. Hurt had a walk, his fourth stolen base, and scored twice. Tompkins had two RBI.  

John Bolton (SO/Nolensville, Tenn.) started and pitched 5.2 innings, allowing nine hits, four runs, and had eight strikeouts. The decision went to Austin Sisk (JR/Kodak, Tenn. ) (1-0) who pitched 1.1 innings with a walk and a strikeout. Sisk now has a 0.87 earned run average this year. In 6 appearances and 10.1 innings pitched, he's given up 12 hits and only one earned run. He has allowed a walk and struck out 11.

Pete Allen (0-1) took the loss after four innings of work.

Both teams had nine hits while UIndy had the games only two errors.