Klimesh Pitches Trinity to Shutout Win in NCAA Playoff Opener

McMinnville, Oregon - The Tiger baseball team opened the NCAA Playoffs with a 2-0 shutout over Coe College on Wednesday afternoon, with righthander Ben Klimesh striking out 12 in a six-hit shutout.

Trinity improved to 35-10 with the win, and it is the first time the Tigers have opened the NCAA Playoffs with a victory since the 2008 season. 

Klimesh upped his record to 13-2 this season, which is a new Trinity record for wins in one year.  He allowed six hits and one walk in the game, and his 12 strikeouts were a new school record for a playoff game.

The Tiger offense was held to just five hits in the game, and four of those came in the third inning.  Trinity had three straight hits with two outs in the third, capped by an RBI double by Christian Muscarello that put the Tigers up 2-0.  Kevin Clements also drove in a run in the inning, which turned out to be the game-winner.

Muscarello was 2-2 with a walk, reaching base all three times he came up to the plate.  Clements was 1-4, as were Dominick Robusto and Nick Pappas.  Robusto and Pappas scored the game's only runs.

Trinity will face Whitworth University tomorrow at 7:00 p.m.  (Pacific).  Coe will take on Saint John's in an elimination game at 12:00 p.m. tomorrow. 

(Photos courtesy of Linfield student Joel Ray.)