The Alice Lloyd College baseball Eagles played four contests over the weekend as the Trinity International University Trojans made the trek from Illinois to battle the Kentucky boys. When the smoke had settled, the Trojans earned two sweeps.
March 4th
Game 1: Alice Lloyd-10; TI- 13
Trinity won Game 1 in a contest marked by wild spurts.
The Trojans used a home run and double to score 3 in the second (3-0), but ALC earned one of those back in the bottom of the inning when Jacob Lovell (DH) smacked a double (3-1).
TI earned that run back in the third (4-1), but did their major damage in the fourth. In that inning, they used 6 hits and 2 Eagle errors to plate 6 big runs (10-1).
In the fifth, the Pippa Passes boys began to rally. With two outs in the inning, they promptly stroked five hits, with two of them being doubles from TJ Mullins (SS) and Kason Hofsess (RF). This would produce 5 runs (10-6).
The comeback continued in the sixth when 3 singles and another double, this one from Cannon Ferrell (CF), promptly scored 4 runs to tie the contest (10-10).
After neither team scored in the seventh, the game went extra innings. Unfortunately, in the eighth, the tide turned in the visitors favor when a bases loaded double scored 3 runs (13-10).
ALC would actually hit 3 singles in their final at bat, but they were unable to produce any runs, as the contest ended.
At the plate, Mullins, Lovell, Ferrell, and Kamden Powell (2B) each finished with 2 hits with Ferrell, Powell, Lovell, and Wyatt Crisp (C) all driving in 2 RBI’s.
Five pitchers took to the mound for the Caney Creek club, with Will Gladson suffering the loss.
The guests outhit the Pippa Passes Eagles 16-13, and both clubs had 3 errors.
Game 2: Alice Lloyd-3; TI-4
The Trojans held on for the win in a low-scoring affair to take Game 2.
The hosts struck first as they stroked 5 hits in the third and scored twice (2-0). Mullins and Hofsess smacked doubles to fuel the run.
Trinity finally scored in the fifth as 5 hits paid big dividends to give them the lead (3-2). They then added an insurance run in the seventh (4-2).
In the bottom of the seventh, ALC made the matchup interesting as Mullins opened the inning with a single and later scored on a sacrifice (4-3). Later, the hosts would have two runners on base with two outs. Unfortunately, a fly out to left field ended the day.
At the plate, Mullins, Hofsess, and Powell each had 2 hits while Crisp had 2 RBI’s.
On the mound, Peyton Branham started and went 4.2 innings, allowing 3 earned runs with 3 K’s. Peyton Brown allowed 2 hits and 1 run in relief.
Both teams had 10 hits and ALC committed the only error.
March 5th
Game 1: Alice Lloyd-3; TI- 14
Trinity won Game 1 as they were assisted by some big errors.
The Trojans were stuck in the opener with a gift run that came from an error, (1-0). However, ALC answered right back in their first at-bat with 2 runs, sparked from a Hofsess double (2-1).
TI earned four in the third (5-2), with 5 hits and 2 errors, and then caused havoc in the fifth. In that inning, they used 6 hits and 2 more Eagle errors to plate 6 big runs (11-2).
In the same inning, another Hofsess double earned an Eagle run back (11-3), but in the seventh, the Illinois team added 3 runs to end the scoring (14-3).
At the plate, Hofsess, Crisp, and Brown each finished with 2 hits with Hofsess driving in 2 RBI’s.
Four pitchers took to the mound for the Caney Creek club, with Ryan Cozart suffering the loss.
The guests outhit the Pippa Passes Eagles 15-10, and ALC committed 5 errors.
Game 2: Alice Lloyd-5; TI-20
The Trojans scored early and often to earn their second sweep of the series.
The guests stuck first as they scored twice (2-0) in the opener. They then smashed 2 homers in the second to double the score (4-0).
ALC sliced the deficit in half in the bottom of the second when Lovell sent a moon-shot of his own over the center-field wall (4-2).
However, TI earned both of those back in the third (6-2). Alice Lloyd tried to respond when a double from the bat of Noah Dingess (LF) produced a score (6-3). Unfortunately, things quickly went sour.
Two Trojan runs in the next inning (8-2) were just a preview of things to come as Trinity produced 7 runs in the fifth (15-2). The Caney Creek clubbers managed 2 runs in the bottom half on 2 singles (15-5), before TI closed the contest with 5 more in the sixth (20-5).
At the plate, Dingess and Lovell each had 2 hits and 2 RBI’s.
On the mound, Eagle pitchers had a rough outing as five hurlers allowed 19 hits and 20 runs. Jake Moran took the loss.
Trinity won the hitting war 19-7 and saw ALC make 5 errors.