(Story taken from Trinity website)
MCMINNVILLE, Ore. - Trinity's baseball team was eliminated from the West Regional Tournament after losing 5-4 in 11 innings to Mississippi College on Thursday afternoon at Linfield College.
Trinity (32-9) finished the year with fewer than 10 losses for the first time since 1972, but is swept in the regional tournament for the first time.
The Tigers opened the scoring with a three-run second inning, hammering out three hits to pull out in front of the Choctaws. Jonathan Hall scored a two-run single to center, followed by Kevin Jackson's RBI single to left field.
Starting pitcher Ryan Lucero gave up just three hits through the first four innings and looked to be leading his team to a victory. In the fifth inning, though, Mississippi College's offense came alive with five straight hits to start the frame, scoring four times to take the lead.
Trinity answered right back in the sixth, tying the game on Dominick Robusto's RBI single. Unfortunately for Trinity, that hit would be the last baserunner of the game for the Tigers.
MC Reliever Daniel Cowart came on in the fifth inning, and after getting the first out, allowed three straight hits to Hall, Jackson, and Robusto. After that, he retired 17 consecutive Tiger batters to finish off the win, improving to 3-1 on the season.
Clint Robertson came on for Lucero in the seventh, going 2.2 scoreless innings. Noah Solomon came on in relief of Michael Bentz in the 10th inning, pitching Trinity out of a jam, and pushing the game to the 11th. Solomon (4-3) took the loss in the end, though, giving up a leadoff walk and back-to-back singles in the 11th - including the walkoff single to end the game.
Robusto finished with three hits in the game, while Hall and Jackson had two hits each. Hall scored twice and drove in two more to help account for all four Tiger runs. Nick Pappas also had a pair of hits for Trinity.
Trinity has now lost four straight regional games by one run, dating back to the 2008 tournament.
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