BASEBALL: Another early lead gets away from Trinity as Gatewood completes sweep

The Trinity Crusaders traveled to Eatonton Friday evening for another region matchup with Gatewood. 

Again, the Crusaders would build a big early lead, but once again they would be unable to hold on as they fell again to the Gators 13-9.

Things started out great for Trinity as Jakob Sahli and Asher Evans both drew walks. Brayden Underwood then singled to make the score 1-0. Carter Lee would come up next with a two-run double for a 3-0 advantage. Tayt Evans then delivered a sac fly to push the lead to 4-0 before the home team came to bat.

The bottom of the first was a complete disaster for Trinity. Gatewood would score five times without a hit. 

Sahli started on the mound but was only able to get two outs before Andrew Helton came in. The Crusaders made three errors, hit five batters and walked another to fall behind 5-4 after one.

After a quiet second for Trinity, the Gators collected four-straight hits to extend their lead in the second. A single to lead off the frame was followed by a two-run homer from Ben Brannen to make it 7-4. Next up was a double and and RBI single by Drew Love to make the score 8-4.

Trinity got a run back in the fourth. Alston Bryan would be hit by a pitch and Sahli reached on an error. Bryan came around to score on an errant pickoff attempt to make it 8-5.

The Crusaders would inch even closer in the fifth. Three straight singles by Kolbi Grooms, Helton and Blake Sims made the score 8-6. Sahli would draw a bases-loaded walk later in the inning to make it 8-7.

The Gators would break the game open in the home half of the fifth. Brady Haley delivered a two-run double to make it 10-7.  The crushing blow came later in the inning with two outs. Love singled to right with a couple of runners on. The ball got past the right fielder, allowing all three runs to score to make it 13-7.

Tayt Evans singled to lead off the sixth for the Crusaders and eventually scored on a wild pitch to make the score 13-8.  Later in the inning, Bryan would draw a bases-loaded walk to make it 13-9, but Trinity would get no closer the rest of the contest.

Underwood and Helton had two hits each to lead the offense. Lee, Tayt Evans, Grooms and Sims also hit safely. Sahli and Bryan both reached four times as they each were hit by a pitch and walked three times apiece.  

Trinity, now 3-3 on the season, will return to region action on Tuesday with a trip to Macon to face Windsor.