(Story courtesy of Trinity University)
AUSTIN, Texas - The Tiger baseball team rallied to take a 3-1 win over the University of Texas-Tyler at the NCAA West Region Tournament on Friday night, advancing to Saturday's Regional Final. Official Site | Box Score
Trinity improved to 39-8 on the season with the win, while UT-Tyler finishes its season with a 37-12 overall record. The Tigers also defeated the Patriots 4-2 in last night's tournament action. UT-Tyler defeated Cal Lutheran earlier today to stay alive, while Trinity was edged in a 4-3 loss to Linfield College to start the day.
The sixth-ranked Tigers will have to earn two wins over top-ranked Linfield tomorrow, with the opening game starting at 12 p.m. Game two would be at approximately 3:30 p.m., if the Tigers win. Linfield can win the regional with just one victory.
Kyle Bogese (3-0) earned the complete-game victory, which marks Trinity's third pitcher in four games to go the distance. Bogese allowed one run on six hits in the tonight's game, walking three batters, but recording eight strikeouts.
UT-Tyler took advantage of two hits in the top of the first to take the 1-0 lead, but it would wind up being the only runs scored in the game for the Patriots against Bogese. The Tigers tied the game in the third, then took the lead for good with a two-run fifth inning.
Kevin Francke picked up two RBI in the game, while Christian Muscarello drove home the final run for the Tigers. Muscarello was 3-4 for the Tigers. Jeremy Wolf went 2-3 with two runs scored.
Francke hit a one-out sac fly to left-center to tie the game for the Tigers, then picked up a bloop single on the infield with two outs to put Trinity in front for good. Muscarello then picked up his RBI on another bloop single (this one into the outfield), and UT-Tyler fell just short of catching both balls.
Trinity has already earned more victories (39) this season than any other team in school history. The previous Tiger record was 37 wins in 2002, 2004, and 2012. Tomorrow will mark Trinity's second consecutive appearance in the regional final, as the Tigers lost to Whitworth last season.
