(Story courtesy of Trinity University Sports Information Department)
SEGUIN, Texas – Trinity's fourth-ranked baseball team was ousted from the NCAA Playoffs with a 6-3 loss to Franklin (Ind.) College on Saturday night.
The Tigers opened up the scoring in the top of the first as Brannen Caraway turned a leadoff walk into a 1-0 lead. Mason Meredith drove in the run with two outs in the inning. Unfortunately, Franklin had an even bigger start to their offensive night, collecting four runs on five hits to take control of the game with an early 4-1 lead.
Trinity was issued three walks to start off the second inning, but the Tigers stranded two critical runners by hitting into a fielder's choice and an inning-ending double play. Neither team threatened again until the fifth, when Logan Morrison laced a triple down the right field line to score a run. Caraway then drove in Morrison with a groundout to first, shrinking the lead to just 4-3.
Franklin answered immediately with a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to push the lead back to three runs at 6-3. The Tigers brought the tying run to the plate after reaching on two errors in the sixth, but Franklin was able to escape without any damage.
Trinity then put the first two runners on the ninth to attempt another rally, but a lineout and a game-ending double play finished off the season for the Tigers.
Trinity finishes its season with a 35-12 overall record, while Franklin improved to 30-14 with the victory. Franklin defeated the Tigers in both of this weekend's matchups, winning 8-6 in the opening game of the Seguin Regional.
The Tigers were limited to just five hits in the final game of the season, which was spread out among five different players.
James Nittoli (6-1) took his first loss of the season after allowing six runs on six hits over 4.1 innings, striking out two batters, but also yielding five walks. Relievers Mark Tindall and Matthew Thomas combined to allow just one hit over 3.2 shutout innings to finish off the game.
Morrison's only hit of the game was his second triple of the season, and he was one of just two players to score a run and drive in a run in tonight's loss. The other was Brannen Caraway, who also drew a walk and stole a base as the Tiger leadoff man.
