Tigers Can't Hold Lead in SCAC Loss at Hendrix Saturday

Conway, Ark. - The Hendrix College Warriors scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to edge the Trinity University Tigers 13-12 Saturday in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball game at Warrior Field.

Trinity had its first conference loss of the season, and now stands at 3-1 in SCAC play (8-3 overall). Hendrix, which beat Trinity in the 2009 SCAC Championship game, improved to 1-4 (SCAC) and 4-5. The two teams conclude their weekend series with a 1 p.m. game Sunday. The Tigers and Warriors will also play a three-game series March 27-28 at E.M. Stevens Field.

The Tigers came barreling out of the gate Saturday, with six runs in the top of the first inning. Junior outfielder Dylan Early cracked his third home run of the season, a three-run shot to right field. Trinity took a 12-2 lead after three innings, punctuated by five runs in the third. Senior first baseman Evan Jones registered his fourth round-tripper of the campaign, a three-run home run to right field.

Hendrix came to life and scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh, on four hits, and one Trinity error. The Warriors' five-run ninth inning was produced by three hits and two Tiger errors.

Jones, from Hillsborough, Calif. (Junipero Serra), batted 3-4 with six RBIs, while scoring two runs. Early, from Santa Monica, Calif. (Santa Monica),  hit 1-2 with three RBIs and one run. Junior catcher Kyle Felix of Woodside, Calif. (Bellarmine College Prep), went 2-5 with an RBI and  a run.

Junior right-hander Noah Solomon of Austin, Texas (Anderson), was the first of five Tiger pitchers, and hurled 6.2 innings. Solomon allowed five runs (one earned), six hits, one walk, and struck out four batters. Mike Panozzo, a junior right-hander from Houston (Clear Lake), pitched the final one-third of an inning, and took his first loss of the season. Panozzo (3-1) allowed one earned run, one hit and a walk.

Trinity scored 12 earned runs, collected 10 hits, made six errors, and left seven players on base. Hendrix scored five earned runs, swatted 12 hits, committed no errors, and stranded 11 players.