Triceratops outlast Grand Rapids C.C. in wild 18-10 thriller

JACKSON, Mich. (athletics.tri-c.edu) – It took until the sixth inning, but the Cuyahoga Community College Triceratops (33-17-1, 13-3 OCCAC) woke up their bats in a big way to take an 18-10 run-rule victory over Grand Rapids Community College (30-14, 22-3 MCCAA), May 15

Hits were aplenty, as the Tri-C team tallied 22 hits in the wild affair. Vinny Gallaher (So./Toledo, Ohio) led the way with a four-for-four performance, including a double and a home run. Zeylen Yanmaz (Fr./Medina, Ohio) joined Gallaher with four hits, while Jamir Ross (R-Fr./Dayton, Ohio) had four RBIs with two runs scored.

Pitching was an adventure for the Triceratops, with Spencer Mueller (So./Grafton, Ohio/Toledo) taking the bump to start the game, but he was only able to get two outs before his day was over. Ethan Elbert (So./Grafton, Ohio) came on, but he was drilled in the leg by a line drive in the second inning. Elbert stayed in the game, but his 2.2 innings included an uncharacteristic four runs allowed and five hits. It was Kyle Figuray (So.) who really locked it down for the Triceratops, with 4.2 innings of clutch relief, allowing only one earned run and keeping Tri-C in the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Mueller got the ball as the opener, but ran into trouble in the top of the first when he gave up a three-run home run to put the Raiders up 3-0. Mueller only lasted 0.2 innings before Elbert came on to take over.
• A Raider line drive hit Elbert in the leg in the second inning, but Elbert stayed in the game and delivered a scoreless second inning.
• GRCC got two more in the top of the third courtesy of a Michael Hurlbutt double and a sacrifice fly.
• The Triceratops offense came to life in the third with singles by Yanmaz and Nathan Hill (So./Medina, Ohio/Toledo) putting two on. Gallaher brought Yanmaz in with a sacrifice fly to deep left field, but the Triceratops weren't able to add any more. Still, they trimmed the deficit to 5-1 through three.
• The Raiders added two more runs in the top of the fourth, taking a 7-1 lead.
• Tri-C's offense exploded with one of their classic big innings, putting up six runs in the home half of the fourth. Ross got things started with a three-run home run, with Yanmaz, Kohan Merritt (Belle River, Ontario, Canada) and Gallaher also notching RBIs.
• A passed ball and error allowed two more Raider runs to score in the top of the fifth, giving GRCC a 9-7 lead.
• Yanmaz roped a double to left field in the fifth, driving in Brayden Bortnick (Fr./Mentor, Ohio) and bringing Tri-C within one, 9-8 through five.
• Another Triceratops error allowed a Raider run to score, pushing the Grand Rapids lead to 10-8 in the middle of the sixth.
• Tri-C came out on offense with a vengeance, with Gallaher launching a solo shot to left and Nash Driedger (Fr./Windsor, Ontario, Canada) sending a two-run blast into orbit to put the Triceratops up 11-10 through six innings.
• The Triceratops slammed the door closed on the game in the eighth inning, with six hits and seven runs to claim the 18-10 run-rule victory. Pat Farrell (So./Cleveland, Ohio), Ross, Alex "A.J." Trobenter (Fr./Euclid, Ohio), Merritt and Hill all notched RBIs in the wild inning.

UP NEXT

The Triceratops will continue on in the NJCAA Region XII Championship Rounds consolation bracket, with a rematch against No. 22 Macomb Community College looming. That game will commence later today, May 15, at 6 p.m. from JC Baseball Field in Jackson, Mich.

All games in the NJCAA Region XII Championship Rounds will be broadcast live on the NJCAA Region XII YouTube channel. No tickets are required to attend the event, but parking on-campus at Jackson College is $10.

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You can follow the baseball team on Instagram @tricbaseball.