SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A pair of fast-moving pitcher's duels were decided by defensive miscues as the Wittenberg Tigers and Trine Thunder split a doubleheader on an unseasonably warm and sunny afternoon.
Wittenberg won the opener 4-3 on a walk-off single by senior Matt Hampp (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Trine scored three unearned runs in the sixth and seventh innings of the nightcap to pull out a 4-1 victory. The Tigers are now 12-3 on the season, while the Thunder evened their record at 5-5.
Trine got on the board first in the opener before the Tigers evened the score on back-to-back doubles by sophomores David Moore (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe)and Matt Powell (Troy, Ohio/Troy) in the fifth inning. Then Wittenberg appeared to take control on a pair of sixth inning solo home runs from Hampp and senior Tim Little (Broadview, Ill./Kenwood Academy).
However, Trine rallied in the top of the seventh, aided by a controversial balk call that put the tying run at third base with no outs. After senior reliever Brad Prewitt (Westerville, Ohio/South) worked out of the inning, Moore led off the bottom half of the seventh with a routine fly ball to right center that was dropped when two Trine outfielders collided. He wound up at third base, leading Trine to issue a pair of intentional walks to load the bases and bring the infield in.
The Thunder nearly wiggled out of the jam, as the next two Tiger batters were unsuccessful in driving in the winning run. However, Hampp, who finished 3-of-4 with two RBIs, ended the game on a 1-1 count, sending a soft liner to right center field to bring pinch-runner Cam Chambers (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville) home with the winning run.
In the nightcap, Hampp again got the Tigers off to a strong start with an RBI single in the first inning, but Wittenberg managed just one more hit the rest of the game. Trine evened the score in the second inning and then took the lead in the sixth with a pair of unearned runs, the second scoring on a botched attempt at defending a Trine double steal.
In the seventh, a passed ball allowed the fourth and final Thunder run to score.
Junior Kevin Tolle (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont) was the starter in the opener, although Prewitt wound up getting the win in relief. Tolle allowed six hits and two walks while striking out five and allowing three earned runs. Junior Zach Finke (Maineville, Ohio/St. Xavier) also went six innings in the second game — he allowed seven hits and one walk while also striking out five. He allowed three runs, just one earned, before giving way to senior Ted Skalla (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier), who was charged with an unearned run in one inning of work.