BASEBALL: Trinity rebounds from Stratford loss, sweeps CFCA

The Trinity Crusaders went 2-1 on the week of baseball as they fell to Stratford Academy 10-0 on Monday, but rebounded with two huge wins over Central Fellowship. They would beat the Lancers 26-1 on the road on Tuesday then win the home matchup 12-0 on Thursday.

The Crusaders stepped away from region play to host Stratford knowing they would need to play a solid all-around game to take down the second-ranked team in AAAA. That didn’t happen as Trinity managed just three hits and made a season-high nine errors in the loss.

The Eagles took advantage of several in the second to plate four unearned runs. They would add another unearned run in the fifth against Trinity starter Kolbi Grooms.

Stratford put it away with three runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to finish out the scoring.

Grooms was solid in his five innings of work, scattering just four hits and not allowing an earned run.  He walked two and struck out two. Jakob Sahli had two hits to lead the offense, while Carter Lee added the other one.

After struggling offensively for several games, the Crusader bats woke up against CFCA.  

Asher Evans led off the game with a walk and quickly stole second. He would score on a single by Grooms to make it 1-0. After an error made the score 2-0, Sahli would double home a run to put Trinity up 3-0.

Another error pushed the lead to 4-0 before an Andrew Helton hit made it 5-0. Later in the frame, a balk would plate the sixth run of the inning.

The Lancers got three hits and a run back in the home half of the first, but the Crusaders exploded in the second.

Trinity would score a whopping 20 times, including nine runs after the second out. 

Two-run singles from Blake Sims and Brayden Underwood would highlight the inning, while Garrett Collier and Jake Johnson also drove in runs with hits.

Multiple errors, hit batters, walks and wild pitches helped Trinity extend its huge lead and invoke the seldom-used 25 after two run rule.

Grooms and Sahli led the offense with two hits each.  Underwood, Sims, Lee, Helton, Collier and Johnson also hit safely.

Tayt Evans got the win on the mound and struck out three.

Thursday’s game wasn’t quite as big a margin, but the offense was clicking again.

Two hit batters and a walk loaded the bases for Trinity in the first. Sahli drove home a pair with a single to make it 2-0. Tayt Evans came up next and drove in two more with a triple to make it 4-0. Sims would make it 5-0 with a sac fly later in the frame.

Trinity added a run in the third to go up 6-0, but would blow the contest wide open in the fourth.

Singles by Jasper Dean, Grooms and Lee would load the bases with one out. Underwood would come up next and hit a bloop single to right. 

The hit was probably only going to score one; however the second baseman kicked the ball all the way into the right field corner, allowing all three runners to score to make it 9-0. Sahli came up next with a sac fly to make the score 10-0. 

Tayt Evans then hit his second triple of game and score when the throw to third got away to make it 11-0.  Later in the inning, Dean would drive home the 12th run with his second hit of the frame, and 12-0 would be the final.

Tayt Evans was 3-3 to lead the offense, while Dean added his first two career varsity hits. Grooms, Lee, Underwood, Sahli and Sims also had hits.

Asher Evans got the win as he allowed just one hit in the five-inning complete game. He again didn’t walk a batter and stuck out nine.

The Crusaders are now 7-4 on the year. They will be back in action next Tuesday, facing Brentwood in Sandersville. The Eagles will return to play in Dublin on Thursday.