LAKELAND, Fla. – The Golden Eagles ended a long two weeks of baseball where they played 22 total games with a split against Trinity Christian. CU scored a season high 16 runs in a 16-5 win in game one and fell 4-2 in game two as the offense was stifled. Cornerstone finishes their trip with a 7-15 overall record getting seven wins after starting the year 0-6. A long break is due up for the Golden Eagles as they return to Michigan. They will play their next game on March 18 at Indiana Wesleyan for a 1 p.m. double-header.
Game One – Cornerstone – 16 Trinity Christian – 5
- A unique start to game one gave Cornerstone a 2-0 lead, as Evan Shirley scored on a Trenton Gilman single and Kyle DeSchryver scored on a Trinity Christian error.
- Later in the inning, Trenton Gilman scored on a balk by the TCC pitcher to make it 3-0.
- Cornerstone exploded for three more runs in the top of the second, as Dan Sewak led things off with an RBI double before back-to-back RBI singles were recorded by Evan Shirley and Jordan Wenzel to make it 6-0.
- CU forced the Trolls starter Michael Mora out of the game after just 1.1 innings pitched as he was relieved by Josh Bakke.
- Trinity Christian got their first run of the game after a double came around to score on an RBI single from Brandon Riemersma to make it 6-1. Cain Ruiz made an excellent throw from right field however to gun down Riemersma and end the inning.
- Evan Shirley continued to get on base, recording an RBI infield single to score Cain Ruiz and make it 7-1. Jordan Wenzel later walked to score Grant Young and make it 8-1. The Trolls again went back to the bullpen with no outs in the top of the third.
- Mike Modert relieved starter Zach Brog after two innings of work and walked a pair in the bottom of the third. One run came home on an RBI double by Michael Mora that made it 8-2. An error extended the inning and allowed two more unearned runs to score to make it 8-4.
- Trinity continued to chip away in the bottom of the fourth scoring a run on an RBI double from Will Kulcher to bring the score to 8-5.
- After Mike Modert could not get out of the bottom of the fourth, Caden Ritsema came in and pitched, getting the final out of the inning to keep it at 8-5.
- Kyle DeSchryver increased the CU lead back to five with a two-run home run that scored Evan Shirley and made it 10-5 in the fifth.
- Cornerstone added four more in the top of the sixth, highlighted by a three-run home run for Austin Hurt to break out of a slump and give CU the 14-5 advantage.
- Grant Young added the cherry on top with a two RBI double in the top of the seventh as Cornerstone scored a season high 16 runs. Caden Ritsema closed out the game and got his first collegiate win on the mound as CU won 16-5.
Game Two –Trinity Christian – 4 Cornerstone – 2
- Trinity Christian struck first blood in game two scoring on a bloop single in the top of the third inning to make it 1-0.
- Austin Hurt stayed hot in the bottom of the third, leading off the inning with a double. The pinch runner Josh Magley later scored on an Evan Shirley RBI single to tie the game 1-1.
- Trinity Christian quickly responded in the fourth inning on reliever Dylan Vandenberg scoring a run on an RBI single by Alex Gerhard to regain the lead 2-1.
- I the fifth, TCC got one more insurance run to make it 3-1. The Golden Eagles got out of the inning after great defensive plays by Isaac Tayes and Evan Shirley.
- CU threatened offensively in both the fourth and fifth innings getting runners into scoring position, but they were unable to score as it stayed 3-1.
- After a lockdown sixth inning by Dylan Vandenberg, TCC was able to sneak one more run home using some small ball to bunt the runner over to third before a single up the middle brought him home. Trinity Christian led 4-1 going into the bottom of the seventh.
- Cornerstone put pressure on the TCC starter Nate Dekkinga, getting singles from Austin Hurt and Evan Shirley to put two runners on.
- Trinity went to the bullpen and called on Zach Huisman to get the final two outs and close the game. Huisman gave up a single to Jordan Wenzel before recording a strikeout to make the bases loaded with two outs.
- Trenton Gilman walked with the bases loaded to cut the deficit to two at 4-2. Huisman got a strikeout to leave them loaded and give the Trolls the 4-2 win in game two.
By the Numbers
16 – Cornerstone scored a season high 16 runs in the game one win.
3 –
Grant Young,
Evan Shirley, and
Austin Hurt led the team in RBI on the day all recording three.
2 – CU hit two home runs on the day as
Kyle DeSchryver and
Austin Hurt hit one out in the 16-5 game one win.
1 –
Caden Ritsema got his first collegiate win in game one.
What's Next?
Cornerstone heads home after two weeks in Florida and 22 games in the books. CU will play their final non-conference double-header at Indiana Wesleyan on March 18 starting at 1 p.m.
Baseball Contact: Jesse Campbell
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