Triceratops power their way to two wins over Edison State

PIQUA, Ohio (athletics.tri-c.edu) – The approach for Cuyahoga Community College (23-13-1, 7-1 OCCAC) April 24 against Edison State was "bombs away!" Five home runs and 12 extra base hits put the Triceratops on top of both games of the doubleheader, 17-3 and 13-5.

The offensive attack was led by catcher Nathan Hill (So./Medina, Ohio/Toledo), who hit two home runs in the third inning in game one and center fielder Jamir Ross (R-Fr./Dayton, Ohio), who hit a homer of his own in each game and a double in the first. Across both contests, those two drove in 10 of the Triceratops' runs. Vinny Gallaher (So./Toledo, Ohio) continued to stay hot as well, with a home run, double and five RBIs in game two of the series.

Plenty of Triceratops had career days in Piqua, with Alex "A.J." Trobenter (Fr./Euclid, Ohio) setting career best marks in hits (3), RBIs (4), runs scored (2) and recording his first collegiate stolen base. Ross and Gallaher's five-RBI outbursts in the first game and second game, respectively, represented a new career high and Ross's three hits tied a previous career best. Hill posted his first career multi-home run game and Brock Miller (So./Willard, Ohio) had two doubles for the first time in his career. Brayden Bortnick (Fr./Mentor, Ohio) tied career best marks with three hits and three RBIs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game One

• As the second batter of the game, Ross got things going in a big way with a solo home run to left field. Two batters later, Zeylen Yanmaz (Fr./Medina, Ohio) drove in another run to put the Triceratops on top, 2-0.
• Starting pitcher Ryan Torok (So./Canton, Mich./Toledo) breezed through the first, sitting the Chargers down 1-2-3 with a strikeout to close the frame.
• A Trobenter double in the second extended the Tri-C lead to 3-0.
• Edison State would strike back in the home half of the second with a two-run home run of their own. Later in the inning, an errant Torok pitch plunked a Charger hitter, forcing a run in to score and pulling the game to a 3-3 tie.
• The tie wouldn't last long, as Hill launched his first home run of the inning as the leadoff batter in the top of the third. The Triceratops took advantage of the momentum, scoring nine runs in the third to take a 12-3 lead. Six of the runs came by way of singles by Ross, Trobenter and Nash Driedger (Fr./Windsor, Ontario, Canada).
• Tri-C wasn't done, as they added on five more runs in the top of the fourth. Another RBI single by Trobenter got things started, and Ross and Miller added RBI doubles to keep building the lead.
• Torok once again sat the Chargers down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth and kept Edison State off the board for the rest of the contest.

Game Two

• Game one's success was hard to follow, and Tri-C got off to a slower start, taking until the top of the first to get a run on the board when Driedger drove in Bortnick to take a 1-0 lead.
• Edison State would even the score on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the second.
• It was Gallaher's time to shine in the third inning, where he crushed a two-run home run over the center field fence, putting the Triceratops back on top, 3-1.
• Starting pitcher David Moore (So./Houston, Texas/Akron) twirled two great frames in the third and fourth, keeping the Chargers off the board despite some traffic on the basepaths.
• Ross belted his second homer of the day – a two-run shot – in the top of the fifth. A single by Bortnick would extend the Triceratops lead to 7-1.
• Edison State would trim the deficit to 7-3 in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single.
• As usual, the Triceratops exploded in the next inning, scoring six runs in the top of the sixth to go ahead 13-3. Driedger's solo home run was the biggest blast, but Gallaher and Bortnick both notched multiple RBIs on doubles to center.
• Edison State wasn't done yet, as they added two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth on a wild pitch and an RBI walk, but the Chargers couldn't overcome the 13-5 Triceratops lead.

UP NEXT

Tri-C and Edison State will square off again in the second day of the series, this time from Ron Mottl Field, April 25. The Triceratops and Chargers will play two games, with first pitch in the first contest scheduled for 1 p.m.

The games will also be broadcast by Smee Sports live on their YouTube channel. Links to watch each game are available on the official Tri-C athletics website, athletics.tri-c.edu.

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