A tremendous pitchers' duel in Game 1 and a "got away" in Game 2 led to TCJ Eagles Baseball dropping both ends of the double-header with the South Region's Baptist University of Florida Eagles on Friday. Trintity rallied in the final scheduled inning to send the nightcap into extra frames, but Baptist got a run in the eighth to win it 10-9 after shutting out Trinity 1-0 in the opener. 

Game 1: Baptist FL 1, Trinity 0

Brodie Nichols continued his dominant pitching within the South Region. Nichols tossed 6 innings of 1-run ball, allowing only 7 hits without a walk. He also struck out 8. Andrew Mohler pitched a scoreless 7th to give the offense one last oppotunity. Unfortunately for Nichols and TCJ, one of those 7 hits was a leadoff home run from Baptist's Brayden Calderon in the top of the second. 

Trinity got singles from Logan McGann, Cooper Scruggs (2), and Tyson LaChapelle, but Baptist starter Mark Pastorella was magnificent himself. Pastorella went the distance, allowing 0 runs on 4 hits while walking 2 and fanning 7. 

Game 2: Baptist FL 10, Trinity 9

TCJ rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score and force extra innings. Pinch hitter Larson Lott and Scruggs led off with walks. After a grounder advanced both runners into scoring position, an error off Markeinis Brown's grounder allowed Lott to score. Seth Reeves lined a hard single to left, moving Brown's pinch runner, Richaun Amaro, to third, and Reeves promptly stole second. With two outs, McGann found the right field grass. Amaro scored, but right fielder Adam Geiger made a percect throw to get Reeves at the plate to keep the game tied. 

Baptist then scored an uneared run on a high throw to put up the game's final tally. 

Brown homered to lead off TCJ's 4th after getting a base hit in the second. He was 2 for 4 with a run scored and two driven in. Dominic Gattinella lined a two-run triple to the right-field corner later in the second to give Trinity a 4-2 lead. A Geiger home run in the top of the 4th and two-run bottom half made it 6-3 Trinity. Baptist then scored 5 runs in the 6th without a base hit to go ahead 8-6 and added 1 more in the seventh before Trinity rallied to tie it up. 

Starter Austin Bailey was effective for 3+innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits with a walk and a strikeout. Noah Durden pitched a scoreless 4th after taking over for Bailey following the first batter.

Next Up:

Trinity and Baptist will play a single 9-inning game at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday. TCJ will then travel to the NCCAA Division 2 National Invitational Tournament from February 19-21 in Arlington, Texas. The Eagles will play Champion Christian College on Thursday and both Randall University and Arlington Baptist University on Friday. The two most successful teams in pool play will play for the title on Saturday.