BASEBALL: Tough losses for Trinity in all three games of pre-playoff road trip

April was very successful for Trinity’s baseball team as it went 7-2 and did not lose to a team from the state of Georgia.

Unfortunately, May did not start out as well as the Crusaders lost three out of their final four games of the regular season.

They fell in walk-off losses to Piedmont (7-6) and Thomas Jefferson (8-7), and were crushed by Tallulah Falls (15-0), on the road trip leading up to a final home game last Friday.

The Piedmont game started great as Asher Evans crushed a homer to lead off the ballgame. One batter later, Carter Lee also homered to put the Crusaders up 2-0.

They would add to the lead in the third when Tayt Evans reached on a two-out error. Braden Underwood came up next with an RBI double to make the score 3-0.

Piedmont would knot the score in the home half of the frame on a two-run double and a groundout to make it 3-3.

Levi Malin singled home the go-ahead run in the fourth to put the Cougars up 4-3. They added two more runs on bases loaded walks in the sixth go up 6-3.

Asher Evans would slug his second home run of the game in the seventh, this time a two-run shot, to cut the deficit to 6-5. Following a groundout, Lee would blast his second homer of the contest to tie the score back up at 6-6.

Unfortunately the Crusaders couldn’t hold the lead. Piedmont loaded the bases with one out of a pair of singles and a walk. Malin would come through again with a single to end the game at 7-6.

Evans had three hits to lead the way for the offense and Lee had two. Underwood, Jakob Sahli and Andrew Helton also hit safely.

Trinity beat Tallulah Falls in a slugfest the weekend before in Dublin. The rematch wasn’t pretty as the home team did all the slugging, and Trinity left its bats and pitching at home.

The Crusaders got the first two batters of the game on, but couldn’t get any runs on the board.

The Indians went right to work off of Trinity starter Asher Evans. A leadoff homer would be the first of six straight batters to get hits to open the contest. The singles, a double and another home run would put the home team up 4-0 before Trinity could record an out.

Following two straight outs, another single and double would push the lead to 7-0 and chase Evans from the contest.

Things went from bad to worse as it took two Crusader relievers to record the final out of the frame.  Five hit batters, two walks and just one hit would plate six more runs as Trinity trailed 13-0 after one inning.

The Indians added a couple more runs over the next few innings to get the 15-0 mercy-rule win.

Asher and Tayt Evans had the only two hits for the Crusaders.

Last week’s trip to Louisville to face Thomas Jefferson did not start out very well as the Jaguars scored four times in the second on four hits, a hit batter and a costly Crusader error to put Trinity in an early 4-0 hole.

Four-straight hits by the Crusaders would cut into the deficit in the third. Sahli and Asher Evans got hits to start the frame and Kolbi Grooms drove home Sahli with a hit. Lee came up next with a two-run single to make the score 4-3.

TJA would get a run back in the bottom of the third on a stolen base and an error on the throw to make it 5-3.

Lee would deliver another RBI single in the fourth for Trinity to cut the deficit to one run again at 5-4.

Again the Jaguars got that run back in the home half of the inning, this time on a wild pitch, to make the score 6-4.

The Crusaders would battle back again in the sixth. Sahli scored a run on a wild pitch to make it 6-5, Lee would deliver a sac fly to tie and Grooms also scored on a wild pitch to give Trinity a 7-6 advantage.

Thomas Jefferson would tie the game up again in the bottom of the sixth on a groundout.  

Trinity loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with one out and the top of the order coming up. Unfortunately, an infield fly and a flyout to center ended the threat.

The Jaguars got a leadoff double in the bottom of the frame. That was followed by a sac bunt and a walk-off single as Trinity fell 8-7.

Asher Evans led the way again with three hits. Lee added a pair and drove in four. Grooms, Underwood and Sahli all had hits as well.

Trinity is now 15-9 on the year and will be the third seed in the GIAA AA state tournament. The Crusaders, who had a first-round bye, will host Southland in a three-game series starting Friday.