Posted: May 06, 2022
CLEBURNE, Texas - Top-seeded Trinity University blasted three home runs, in the opening two innings, to power an 11-6 victory over fourth-seeded University of St. Thomas in the opening game of the 2022 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Baseball Championship on Friday afternoon. Official Website l Tournament Stats l Photo Gallery | Postgame Interview
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Trinity senior MJ Metz opened the scoring with a leadoff home run in the bottom half of the first inning. It was his ninth home run of the season. Nathan Braulick doubled in Ezra Gore to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead after one.
- St. Thomas would score its first run in SCAC Tournament history when Noah Martinez connected on a single to center in the top half of the second inning to score Erik Garza.
- The Tigers responded in the home half of the second with a pair of solo home runs, the first off the bat of Tyler Pettit to left center and the second courtesy of Metz. It was the second in as many at-bats for Metz who now has a career-high 10 home runs on the season.
- Trinity extended its lead in the fourth as Metz collected his third RBI of the afternoon, this time via a single to score Pettit. Michael Montrezza scored his 30th run of the season to give Trinity a 6-1 lead after four after an RBI sac fly to center off the bat of Gore.
- St. Thomas plated its second run of the afternoon when Garza flied out to right field, scoring Cameron McClure in the sixth.
- Just like the second inning, Trinity responded to the Celts run in the opening half of the frame with two more runs in the bottom half. Jack Wisniewski cracked a two RBI double down the right field line to score Colt Harris and Metz.
- Trinity scored three more runs in the seventh, its fifth-multi run inning of the afternoon behind an RBI double from Wisniewski and a two RBI single from Gore.
- St. Thomas fought back, scoring four runs in the top of the ninth, highlighted by a solo home run to lead things off from Dylan Lamb but could not scratch enough runs across to extend the game .
TRINITY UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- MJ Metz: 3-4, 3 RBI, 3 runs, 2 HR
- Tyler Pettit: 3-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 1 HR
- Jack Wisniewski: 2-4, 3 RBI, 1 run
- Ezra Gore: 2-4, 3 RBI, 1 run
- Michael Montrezza: 2-4, 2 runs
- Joseph Chavana (WP): 8.0 IP 9 H, 6 K, 4 ER
UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Tristan Pitkin: 2-5, 1 RBI
- Noah Martinez: 2-4, 1 RBI
- Erik Garza: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 run
- Dylan Lamb: 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 HR
NOTABLES
- Trinity has now won three-straight SCAC Tournament openers and improves to 16-1 over its last 17 tournament debuts.
- Today marked the 80th win in program history for the Tigers at the SCAC Tournament, the most in league history.
- Trinity is now 53-5 in SCAC Tournament history when scoring seven or more runs. The 11 runs are the most in an SCAC opener for Trinity since they scored 11 in the first game of the 2017 tournament.
- The 17 combined runs between the two schools are the most in the first game of the SCAC Tournament since Trinity defeated Oglethorpe, 11-7, in game one of the 2010 tournament.
- Trinity extended its streak to three-straight SCAC Tournament openers with at least one home run. The Tigers have now hit eight home runs over the course of that run.
- Metz’s has now hit four of his career 18 home runs at the SCAC Tournament and is the second athlete in the last two tournaments to connect on two home runs in a single game. Texas Lutheran’s Joe Jimenz hit a pair of home runs in game four of the 2021 tournament.
- Joseph Chavana improved to 9-1 on the year after allowing just four earned runs, while striking out six in 8.0 innings of action. It was the first SCAC Tournament victory in Chavana’s career after making two appearances last year as a freshman.
- St. Thomas made its SCAC Tournament debut today, marking the first time since the 2013 Tournament another institution besides Centenary College, Southwestern University, Texas Lutheran University and Trinity have qualified and competed in this event.
- Noah Martinez, who accounted for the first RBI in SCAC Tournament history for the Celts, also drove in the first RBI in program history .
UP NEXT
Trinity will move on to face the winner of No. 2-seed Texas Lutheran and No. 3-seed Centenary at Noon CT on Saturday afternoon, while St. Thomas takes on the loser of the match in the following game.
