PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trinity Baseball opened the conference season on Monday, hosting CCAC newcomers Viterbo for an afternoon doubleheader at the Schaaf Athletic Complex. The Trolls would take the opener in walk-off fashion, 3-2 in extra innings, but the V-Hawks would earn the split with a 9-5 win over the Trolls in game two.
Trinity 3, Viterbo 2 (8 innings)
WP: Munoz (1-0) • LP: Jaenke
Viterbo would open the scoring in the top of the 3rd, with three straight singles to lead off the inning. A sacrifice fly would give the visitors a 1-0 lead before a ground out added another run to the tally. The Trolls would respond after a slow start at the plate in the bottom of the 4th after Shane Jones and Carter Chaney singled, setting the table for Anthony Cappelletti's two-out, two-RBI single to right.
Both teams would be held scoreless through the final three innings, before the Trolls took the win in extras. In the bottom of the 8th, Taiki Kondo would single, then move into scoring position on Josh Pilgrim's sac punt. Jones would later single to left for the winning run to close out game one.
Jones and Kondo would each have two hits in the win, including a combined two runs scored and one RBI between the pair. Chase Hadley threw six innings with six strikeouts, working around a pair of earned runs, but Ulysses Munoz would pick up the win for his work in the 8th inning, where he struck out the side.
Viterbo 9, Trinity 5
WP: Sanchez • LP: Nielsen (0-3)
Viterbo would push across a run in the 1st and 2nd innings for an early 2-0 advantage, but the Trolls would capitalize on a pair of bunt singles and an error to even the score in game two in the bottom of the 3rd. After Kondo and Brodie Mayberry each singled on bunt attempts, with the latter bringing home Omar Wright following a leadoff walk. Jones' sac fly would score Kondo for the 2-2 score.
Wright would give the Trolls the lead in the bottom of the 4th, on a sac fly that brought home Hector Mendoza. Trinity would load the bases in the 4th with no outs, but only scored the lone run to go up 3-2.
The V-Hawks would bounce back in the top of the 5th, reclaiming the lead with four runs on three hits and an error. Another sac fly, from Chaney would close the gap to 6-4 through the end of the 5th. Viterbo rallied again for three more runs in the 6th, pushing their lead to 9-4.
The first three Trolls would reach base again in the bottom of the 7th, but a strikeout and the fourth sac fly of the game would leave Trinity with two outs and a four-run deficit as Viterbo closed out the win to split the day.
Jones and Kondo continued their strong day at the plate, each going 2-for-3 with a walk and run, while Jones added in a triple and an RBI. Mendoza finished 2-for-4 with a run as three Trolls recorded multi-hit performances in game two.
The Trolls close out the four-game set with the V-Hawks on Tuesday, when they host Viterbo for another doubleheader. First pitch is again scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
