Small ball hitting and big-time pitching were dominant in Game 1 as Brodie Nichols pitched his third complete-game shutout of the season and TCJ Eagles Baseball defeated NAIA Dordt University 4-0 in the first of two Saturday games at the Russ-Matt Invitational. Game 2, however, went to the opposition as NAIA Northwestern Iowa University came from behind and rallied late to win 10-5.

Game 1: Eagles 4, Dordt University 0

Nichols pitched a 9-inning masterpiece for his third shutout of the season. Nichols allowed only 5 hits while walking 1 and srtiking out 6. Although Dordt had base runners in six different innings, three of them came on defensive miscues. He pitched perfect 1st, 7th, and 8th innings, got a double-play grounder in the 5th, and stranded all other base runners in each inning. Two runners reached base in the same inning only three times.

[Brodie Nichols: 9 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K vs. Dorst on Saturday]

Offensively, the Eagles provided run support in the 3rd, 6th, and 7th innings. In the bottom of the third, Richaun Amaro's base hit drove in Cooper Scruggs (hit by pitch) with 1 out, and Jacob Burke's hit batsman with the bases loaded brought in Gadriel Burgos (reached on error). 

Scruggs led off the 6th with a walk and scored and advanced to second on a Burgos single. Larson Lott sacrificed both runners 90 feet, and Scruggs scored on Tyson LaChapelle's ground ball. In the 7th, Burgos hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Dominic Gattinella (double) for the game's final tally. 

Burgos was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a run driven in. Scruggs reached base 4 times on a base hit and 3 walks. Logan McGann, Amaro, Burke, and Gattinella all hit safely, and the Eagles drew 6 total walks. 

Game 2: Northwestern Iowa 10, Eagles 5

The Eagles scored twice in the top of the first on a wild pitch and a ground ball. McGann started the game with an infield single and eventually raced home from third on a wild pitch for the first run. Lott's productive ground ball made the score 2-0 as Scruggs (single) crossed the plate. 

After Northwestern tied it up with 2 in the bottom of the third and took a 4-2 lead in the fifth, Trinity reclaimed the lead with a three-run rally in the sixth. Gattinella led off with a base hit, and after TCJ loaded the bases, Gattinella scored on a wild pitch. Burgos tied the score at 4-4 with a run-scoring ground ball to bring in McGann (hit batsman), and Lott followed with a RBI single to bring in Scruggs (walk).

Northwestern, though, scored twice in the seventh to regain the lead and added a three-run double from Caleb Caciari in the 8th to widen the margin to 10-5. 

Five different Eagles hit safely, and Lott notched a pair of RBI. 

Next Up:

The Eagles return to the Russ-Matt to face three more NAIA competitors on Thursday and Friday, March 12 and 13. TCJ will play Valley City State University (North Dakota) on Thursday and Bellvue University (Nebraska) and Mayville State University (North Dakota) on Friday. The next home games are on March 17 when Trinity hosts NAIA Abraham Baldwin Agricultural Center for a Spring Break double-header.