Trinity cruises past Central Fellowship in game 1 of series

By JEREMY PAYNE, Correspondent

The Trinity Crusaders returned to school, and to region action on Monday with a trip to Macon to face Central Fellowship. The Crusaders would pound out a season-high 19 hits en route to a 16-1 victory in five innings. 

Trinity wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Asher Evans would rip a one-out double and come around to score on a single by Nathan Sumner to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead in the first. 

They extended the lead in the second. Kolbi Grooms and Tripp Mascaro would both single, leading off the inning. Cesar Rodriguez would then beat out a bunt to load the bases with nobody out. Ben Helton drove home a pair with a hit to make it 3-0.

A few batters later, Sumner would bring home two more with a single, making it 5-0. Isaias Tolentino would follow with another RBI single to make it 6-0 after two innings.

The Crusaders broke the game wide open in the third. Mascaro would single with one out and steal second. Rodriguez would drove him home with a single to make it 7-0. After a Helton single, Evans would make the score 8-0 with an RBI groundout.

An error would push the lead to 9-0 and extend the inning. Tolentino came up with a two-run double a couple of batters later to make it 11-0. The starting pitcher Grooms would help his own cause later in the frame with a two-run single to make it 13-0. Mascaro would then drive home a run with his second hit of the inning to make the score 14-0.

The Crusaders would add two more runs in the fifth on an RBI double by Luc Bennett and a single by Grooms to push the advantage to 16-0.

The Lancers scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth, but the game would be called after that due to the mercy rule. 

Every Crusader starter had at least one hit in the contest. Grooms and Mascaro led the offensive onslaught with three each. Helton, Evans, Sumner, Tolentino and Rodriguez had two hits each.  Bennett, Cruz Giles and Carson Shepherd also hit safely. Grooms got the five-inning complete game win on the hill, scattering four hits and not allowing an earned run. He walked three and struck out three.

Trinity (10-6, 4-0 region 6-AA) will host the Lancers in game 2 of the series on Thursday.