It was a tale of two offenses in TBC Eagles Baseball's double-header with NAIA Cornerstone University of Michigan at the Russ-Matt Invitational on Friday as each team had one very explosive game. Cornerstone (Grand Rapids, Michigan) won the opener 11-0, but Trinity Baptist returned the favor with a 10-0 victory in Game 2.

Game 2: Eagles 10, Cornerstone 0

Patience at the plate led to a six-run outburst in the top of the first. Five of the first six batters – Ryan Onkst, Colin Sepulveda, Dominic Gattinella, Jacob Brigman, and Jordan Fernandez – all either drew a walk (3) or were hit by pitches (2), and Brigman and Fernandez each got a RBI in the sequence.

Parker Laffrey then greeted the new pitcher with a base hit to bring in Gattinella, and Nate Nogueras drove home Brigman with a ground ball. Drew Gifford's grounder that followed eluded the shortstop, which allowed both Laffrey and Fernandez to tally the fifth and sixth runs of the frame.

The Eagles then scored twice more in each of the third and fifth innings. Nogueras doubled home Fernandez (lead-off single) and scored on Gifford's single in the third. Two innings later, Onkst laced a double to score Laffrey (hit by pitch) and soon after scored on Reeves's ground ball.

Starter Michael Cardenas shut out Cornerstone through five innings, allowing only 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 9. He allowed two base runners in only one of his five innings.

[Michael Cardenas earned the win in Game 2 vs. Cornerstone.]  

Reliever Andrew Mohler pitched two hitless innings with a walk and a strikeout to finish the game.

The Eagles' offense totaled 6 hits but also drew 5 walks and 3 hit batsmen.

Game 1: Cornerstone 11, Eagles 0

Game 1 was all Cornerstone, who scored multiple runs in three innings and single runs in two more.

Seth Reeves was 3 for 4, and Gavin Williams stole a base. Brandon Hoang had a solid outing in relief, allowing just 1 earned run on 5 hits with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched.

Next Up

The Eagles will finish the Russ-Matt Invitational on Saturday by playing nine-inning games against two NAIA opponents in Aquinas College (Grand Rapids, Michigan) and Rochester University (Rochester, Michigan). After some time off, TBC will host double-headers with the University of Fort Lauderdale on March 19 and Millennia Atlantic University on March 20.