TBC Eagles Baseball ended the Russ-Matt Invitational with wins over two NAIA teams from Michigan when they came from behind to defeat Aquinas College in the morning and fended off Rochester University's comeback effort to win in extra innings late afternoon. David Hickey and Jack Musgrave notched the game-winning hit in each game, respectively, as the Eagles finished the weekend winning 3 of 4 in Auburndale. 

Game 1: Eagles 7, Aquinas 6

David Hickey drove in the game-tying and game-winning runs in the bottom of the eighth when he doubled to left on a 2-2 count with two outs. The drive scored Logan McGann and Graham Gorman, both courtesy/pinch runners. McGann took over for catcher Ryan Onkst, who walked; Gorman ran for Colin Sepulveda, who singled to advance McGann to third before stealing second himself and giving way to Gorman.

[David Hickey totaled 6 hits in two games on Saturday, including the game winner vs. Aquinas.]

Drew Billings pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to earn the save and preserve the win for Elijah Syrkus. Aquinas got a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt to put the tying run in scoring position, but Billings got a strikeout and a ground ball to second to end the game.

Syrkus pitched three scoreless innings in relief to earn the win. He allowed just 2 hits while walking 1 and striking out 3.

The Eagles trailed 6-1 as they came to bat in the fourth, and they started the comeback with a bases-loaded walk to Dominic Gattinella that brought in Nate Nogueras (single).

Three innings later, Parker Laffrey doubled to drive in both Sepulveda (single) and Hickey (double). Laffrey then pulled the Eagles to within a run at 6-5 when he crossed the plate on Nogueras's base hit to right. That three-run rally set the stage for the game winners in the eighth.

Trinity got its first run in the third on Hickey's RBI double to left that plated McGann (Onskt single). Overall, Hickey's line reads 3 for 4, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI. Nogueras was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a run driven in.

Game 2: Eagles 9, Rochester 5 (11 Innings)

Jack Musgrave broke a 5-5 tie in the top of the 11^th with a three-run triple to center to drive in Jacob Brigman, Graham Gorman, and Jacob Burke, who all walked in succession with one out. Musgrave pinch hit for Drew Billings, who benefited as the winning pitcher.

[Jack Musgrave drove in three with a triple to win the game for the Eagles.]

Musgrave then added an extra run when he scored on Jordan Fernandez's single with two outs. That hit was the fourth of the game for Fernandez, who also drove in three runs.

[Jordan Fernandez: 4 for 6, 2B, BB, 3 RBI in TBC's win over Rochester.]

The Eagles scored the game's first four runs thanks to a first-inning RBI single from Fernandez that brought home Sepulveda (single), a second-inning run-scoring single from Onkst to bring in Nogueras (walk) and sacrifice fly from Gattinella to plate Seth Reeves (hit by pitch), and a fifth-inning bases-loaded walk to Fernandez to score Onkst (walk).

Rochester then answered with four runs of their own, including a three-run bottom of the fifth to tie the score at 4-4.

Trinity regained the lead in the ninth when Jacob Burke tripled home Drew Gifford (walk), but Rochester knotted it up again to force extra innings.

Billings totaled two innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. Nate Nogueras pitched the 11^th, and the only man to reach base (error) stayed at first. Nogueras got a popup, a fly ball, and a line out to end the game. Joseph Labas, Andrew Mohler, and Colin Sepulveda worked the first nine innings and kept Rochester from ever taking the lead.

The Eagles drew 10 walks, and David Hickey was 3 for 7 in this game and 6 for 11 total on the day.

Next Up

The Eagles will have more than a week before their next games, which are home double-headers against the University of Fort Lauderdale on March 19 and Millennia Atlantic University on March 20. March play then ends with two at home versus NAIA Ave Maria University on the 26th.