Trinity baseball wins in pitcher duel
By Don Gearhart
Nothing is more electric than a baseball game is low-scoring and dominated by excellent pitching. So was the case with the Wilson Hall Barons and Trinity Collegiate Titans.
After a scoreless first inning, the Barons struck first. Consecutive base hits to lead off the inning led to the game’s first run scoring on a fielder’s choice. ‘The Titans answered that in the home half of the second and literally walked their way to a run. Tucker Galloway walked and moved into scoring position when Mac Buchanan also received a base-on-balls. One out later Pierce Evans also walked to load the bases. Then, with two outs, Tanner Buck got the RBI with plate patience ending in yet another walk.
Taner Hall then completely shut down the Baron offense allowing just one baserunner and retiring fifteen of the next sixteen batters through seven innings. Trinity threatened in the third when Nickolas Romanoli led off with a double and two outs later Buchanan walked. But a strikeout ended the inning without a run.
The bottom of the fifth looked promising to the Titans when Mac Faile started the frame by getting hit by a pitch. Romanoli followed with a walk and after an out, Galloway was also hit by a pitch to load the bases. With the infielders playing in, a grounder by Buchanan ended up as a fielder’s choice with Faile being out at the plate. A ground out ended the inning with the score still tied at 1-1.
In the bottom of the sixth, Evans got aboard on an error and was sacrificed to second base by Kam Rheuark. Buck got a hit but Evans could not score. A ground out to the first baseman froze Evans at third and Romanoli’s fly ball to left ended up being caught to end the inning.
After a scoreless seventh inning, the game went into extra innings. The Barons finally got baserunners with two outs on a hit and a walk but their hopes were dashed when Hall fanned the next batter. With one out Rheuark got a base hit and Buck walked. Rheuark was throw out trying to steal third but Faile got aboard on a fielder’s choice and Romanoli walked. With runners’s on first and third, Hall hit what was ruled a fielder’s choice but no out was recorded and the winning run crossed the plate to give the Titans a 2-1 victory.
Buck had two of the Titans four hits although they benefited by earning nine walks during the game. Hall earned the win pitching all eight innings, giving up just four hits, walking two, and striking out seven.