Garner Wetzel homered twice, and Tal Hendrix had his best outing
of the year, but it was not enough as the Trinity Tigers (13-4,
9-2) jumped on the Millsaps Majors (15-7, 10-4) for seven runs in
the first two innings, en-route to a 7-3 victory in the rubber match
at Twenty Field Sunday.
The Tigers pounced on Millsaps starter David Hutzel in the first,
pushing across four runs on five hits. Nick Vera and Johnny Baugus
had RBI singles and Huston O'Conner cracked an RBI double in the
first.
After a 1-2-3 inning for the Majors, the Tigers knocked out Hutzel
(1-1), who gave up six earned runs on six hits in just one-plus
inning of work.
A scuffling Tal Hendrix came in and gave up three RBI-singles (two
charged to Hutzel) to BJ Sowyrda, Vera, and Baugus, but, the junior
righthander settled down and pitched the final eight innings of
the game. Hendrix gave up one run on four hits, and striking out
eight.
Hendrix gave up just one hit after the second inning and at one
point retired 16 in a row. When the Tigesrs did make contact, Hendrix
forced the ball to stay on the ground, as the Tigers flew out only
four times.
While Hendrix handled the Tigers lineup, Trinity ace Brock Hewitt
silenced the Millsaps bats. Junior shortstop Garner Wetzel was the
only Major that could get to Hewitt, who came into the game with
a 3-0 record and 0.54 ERA.
Wetzel smashed a towering blast over the right-field monster in
the fourth inning for the Majors first run. Catcher Derrik Boland
ripped an RBI single that plated Ryan Skertich in the sixth to inch
the Majors closer. The Majors got within striking distance in the
eighth when Wetzel hammered an offering from Hewitt to deep right-center.
The home run was Wetzel's fifth of the year, tying him with Skertich
for the team lead; and also his third in the series.
Hewitt (4-0), however, slammed the door on the Majors in the ninth
for the complete game. Hewitt surrendered nine hits and struck out
eight. Madison, Vera, and Baugus all finished with two hits, while
Sowyrda was credited with three RBI.
Wetzel finished 3-for-3 and Boland finished 2-4 with an RBI to
lead the Majors.
