LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The Sabercats dropped the final two games against Trinity International this season by scores of 16-8 and 15-2.

In the losses, Ty Smith drove in four runs and struck out five in his collegiate pitching debut, while Tim Nickels drove in four runs in game one alone.

OVERVIEW

• Game One: Maranatha 8-16 Trinity Int'l
• Game Two: Maranatha 2-15 Trinity Int'l
• Venue: Fred Merkle Field, Washington Park
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: -
• Records: MBU (0-20), TIU (15-27) 

STORY

Maranatha was without their leadoff hitter David Cripps after an injury on Monday night, but the offense picked up the slack as Ty Smith led off the game with a single. After Jared Martin pitched his two best innings of the season, Sam Ratledge smashed an RBI triple to the right-center field wall to drive home the first run of the game. Later in the inning, Smith ripped a double, his second hit of the game, to drive in two more runs.

Trinity scored a pair in the third, but the Sabercats held them for another two innings to hold a 3-2 lead after four. But it was in the fifth that the Trojans found their bats and started ripping hits through to score eight runs, quickly destroying Maranatha's lead. But the Sabercats didn't give up as Tim Nickels responded with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth, getting a couple of those runs back.

�� Tim Nickels RBI double ‼️

Maranatha 5
Trinity Int'l 10 pic.twitter.com/trO0T2iL7O

— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) April 26, 2022

After Trinity scored three more in the sixth, Kyle Cummins drove in a run on an error, and Nickels singled to score another. But despite the clutch hits finally coming through, it would not be enough to stop Trinity from outscoring the Sabercats 16-8.

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Trinity jumped out to an early lead in game two, scoring three in the first. With the pressure on, the Sabercats faced a pitcher with the most velocity on a fastball they had faced all season. Despite this, they worked the count and got a lot of runners on from walks early on, but the hits just didn't fall. Trinity kept pouring the runs on in the next couple of innings, but Smith was able to finally get a hit off the hard-throwing rightie the Trojans threw to score a run in the second.

In the fourth, Smith made another accomplishment: his collegiate pitching debut. His first two innings were nearly spotless, just one baserunner on a walk and striking out two. Trinity did tag him for a couple runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, but Smith gave a great showing in his debut on the bump, giving up just three runs and striking out five.

Maranatha was able to scratch across another run in the sixth as Smith once again came through with a sacrifice fly to right to drive in Micah Bailey, providing Maranatha their final tuneup before facing Lincoln Christian to end the season this weekend.

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Maranatha Lineup (Game One) - 19- T. Smith (SS), 3- Croswell (2B), 8- Cummins (3B), 23- Nickels (1B), 4- J. Bailey (C), 9- M. Bailey (CF), 6- Ratledge (DH), 15- J. Piranian (LF), 10- M. Cripps (RF), 20- Martin (P)

Maranatha Lineup (Game Two) - 19- T. Smith (SS), 3- Croswell (2B), 8- Cummins (P), 23- Nickels (1B), 6- Ratledge (P), 4- J. Bailey (3B), 9- M. Bailey (CF), 15- J. Piranian (LF), 10- M. Cripps (RF)

STATS

• Box Score Game One (Link)
• Box Score Game Two (Link)

OPPONENTS

• Trinity International competes in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (NAIA)
• Trinity International began their season in February with an extended trip to Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky
• Trinity International lost in the CCAC Tournament to Roosevelt in extra innings to finish last season
• Trinity International walked off on Maranatha in their previous game on April 11

NEXT

The Sabercats host Lincoln Christian for four games on Friday and Saturday to wrap up the season. Follow at mbusabercats.com.