Trinity Baseball Beats DePauw to Win SCAC Championship

Millington, Tennessee - The Trinity Tiger baseball team outlasted DePauw University in a 3-1 pitcher's duel to win the 2010 SCAC Championship on Sunday afternoon at USA Baseball Stadium.

Trinity (32-7) trailed for much of the game after DePauw opened up the scoring with a run in the first inning. 

DePauw's Elliott Ross and Trinity's Ryan Lucero both posted amazing pitching performances in the game.  Ross, the SCAC Pitcher of the Year, threw 5.1 shutout innings before Trinity's Jonathan Hall hit a solo blast to left field to tie the game. 

Lucero improved to 5-1 on the year, giving up one run on nine hits through eight innings of work, striking out seven batters. After throwing a complete game shutout yesterday, Ben Klimesh returned to action and earned the save by pitching the final inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, Ross - who fell to 8-2 on the year - ran into trouble for the first time in the game.  He got the first hitter out, but then gave up a walk and a single to bring up Hall at the top of the order.  Hall responded with his second RBI of the game, cracking a single into left field.  After giving up another hit to load the bases, Ross came out of the game, but Trinity was able to score an insurance run before the inning ended.

Hall was 2-4 with one run and two RBI, while Chris Walden also had a pair of hits.  The Trinity Tiger offense was held to just eight hits in the game, and despite a season-low three runs, still pulled out a gritty win.

Trinity earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs with the win, and will await official word for the regional tournament.  Bids will be announced just prior to regionals, which will take place May 19-23.  Unless the team is moved out of the West Region, Trinity will play at Linfield College, as announced earlier this year by the NCAA.