Trobenter’s dual game two blasts force winner-take-all game three

PARMA, Ohio (athletics.tri-c.edu) – With their backs against the wall following a 7-1 game one loss, the Cuyahoga Community College Triceratops (30-16-1, 13-3 OCCAC) stormed back behind two home runs and five RBIs from Alex "A.J." Trobenter to take game two from Bryant & Stratton College (Ohio) (26-28, 12-2 OCCAC) 15-7 via a seven-inning run rule, May 7.

Trobenter's two homers and four overall hits were the highlight of the offense, but game two was a true slugfest at Ron Mottl Field. Nathan Hill (So./Medina, Ohio/Toledo) had three hits of his own – including one home run – with four RBIs and four runs scored. The Triceratops' offense really found their sea legs in the top of the fifth by sending four baseballs into the stratosphere for home runs from Nash Driedger (Fr./Windsor, Ontario, Canada), Hill, Trobenter, and Jackson Boles (So.).

Bryant & Stratton hung with the Triceratops for a while in game two, but once David Moore (So./Houston, Texas/Akron) was summoned from the bullpen, the Bobcat bats went cold. Moore's three scoreless innings closed out the game and sealed the win.

Game one was almost the opposite for the Triceratops, who once again couldn't touch Bryant & Stratton starter Max Wagar. In last week's series, Wagar pitched a one-hit masterpiece en route to a win. He surrendered three hits this time, but kept the good guys off the scoreboard until Pat Farrell (So./Cleveland, Ohio) scored the Triceratops' only run on a wild pitch.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game One

• Keagan Gilbride (So./Akron, Ohio) got the nod as the game one starter for the Triceratops after picking up the OCCAC Championship-clinching win against these same Bobcats in Solon, May 2.
• The Bobcats struck first with an RBI single by Adam Kidder, but the hot start for Bryant & Stratton was killed by a 5-3-2 double play started by great throws from Hill and Vinny Gallaher (So./Toledo, Ohio).
• Kidder struck again with a two-run bomb in the top of the third, extending the Bryant & Stratton lead to 3-0.
• For the second series in a row, the Triceratops couldn't touch Bryant & Stratton starter Max Wagar, who hurled 6.2 innings of three-hit ball.
• Both starters, Wagar and Gilbride, settled in and kept the offenses in check until the home half of the seventh, when a wild pitch scored Farrell to put Tri-C on the board, 3-1.
• Immediately in the top of the eighth, Bryant & Stratton took one back with a sacrifice fly to left, padding the lead to 4-1.
• The Bobcats once again struck in the top of the ninth, plating three runs to take the ultimately final 7-1 lead.

Game Two

• The Triceratops claimed first blood in game two with Jamir Ross (R-Fr./Dayton, Ohio) leading the game off with a triple and scoring on a Gallaher sacrifice fly.
• Starting pitcher Ryan Torok (So./Canton, Mich./Toledo) picked up where he left off last week, punching out the first Bobcat he saw. But the Bobcats were able to string together some offense, with an RBI single evening the game 1-1 through one.
• A double by Hill in the top of the third broke the tie, but a two-run home run by Trobenter to put the Triceratops up 4-1 was the exclamation point on the inning.
• The lead wouldn't last long, as the Bobcats matched the Triceratops with three runs of their own to knot the game at 4-4 through three.
• The offenses fully caught fire as the Bobcats added three more runs in the fourth, taking a 7-4 lead.
• Not to be outdone, the Triceratops launched four home runs from Driedger, Hill, Trobenter and Boles to take a 9-7 lead in the top of the fifth.
• Moore got the call out of the bullpen in the bottom of the fifth and immediately shut down the Bobcats bats, recording three straight outs.
• The Triceratops took a commanding 12-7 lead with a two-RBI single from Hill and RBI single from Gallaher in the top of the sixth.
• Heading into the stretch, the Triceratops stretched their lead to 15-7 with three straight RBI singles from Gallaher, Trobenter and Boles.
• A 1-2-3 inning from Moore sealed the run-rule win, setting up the high stakes for tomorrow's rubber match.

UP NEXT

The Triceratops and Bobcats will return to Ron Mottl Field tomorrow, May 8, for the winner-takes-all rubber match. Time for first pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. Continue to follow along at athletics.tri-c.edu, or on the official Tri-C athletics Instagram and X accounts below to stay up-to-date. The final game in the series will be broadcast live on the SmeeSports YouTube channel.

FOLLOW THE TRICERATOPS

Keep up with all things Tri-C Athletics by following the Triceratops on Instagram @tri_c_athletics, Facebook @Tri-C Athletics and X @TriCAthletics.

You can follow the baseball team on Instagram @tricbaseball.