Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 THomas University (10-16) swept two games on Day 2 of the 2016 Warner Invitational, besting Siena Heights in the morning game 7-1, and rallying for a ;ate inning 5-3 win over St. Francis (IN) in the afternoon. The wins send the Night Hawks to the #2 vs. #3 game on Saturday against #12 Bellevue, with the winner facing Warner in the championship game.
In the early game, TU stumbled out of the gate in the top of the 1st as SHU used 2 hits, an error, and a wild pitch score the games first run and take a 1-0 lead. TU would strike in the third inning, when
Dillon True reached on a bunt single, and moved to third on a
JR Cruess double down the third base line.
Jalbert Melo would drive them both home with a triple to right field, and the Night Hawks took the 2-1 lead at the end of 3 innings.
TU starter
Tate Lambert would work around trouble all day, lasting 4 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 walks, with 3 strikeouts.
Joshua Roye would come on in the 5th inning, and hit the first batter he faced. Roye worked around the leadoff mistake, using a fielders choice and 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and keep the 3-1 lead.
In the bottomof the 6th,
Jeremy Crosby led off with a double to the left center gap.
Gavin Murphy would reach on the fielders choice sacrifice as Crosby was able to slide around the tag at third base to put runners on the corners. RBI singles by
Austin Simmons,
Blake Summers, and
Tanner Elsbernd would stretch the lead to 6-1. Melo would drive in the final run on a fielders choice to provide the final 7-1 margin.
Lambert would get his first win of 2016, and Roye picked the save, going 3 innings and allowing 4 hits and 1 strikeout. 10 different Night Hawks had hits, and Melo added 3 RBI.
In the second game of the day, the NIght Hawks used some late game heroics to pull out the 5-3 win over St. Francis.
TU took the 1-0 lead in the second when Murphy singled and
Yovanny Peguero doubled to leave runners at 2nd and 3rd with one out.
Tanner Long would ground out to second to score courtesy runner Simmons for the 1-0 lead.
Night Hawks starter
David Wood would surrender the lead in the bottom of the inning, as the Saints used 2 singles and a walk to tie the game at 1 after 2 innings.
Thomas would respond again in the top half of the third with two more runs. Melo doubled to left field advancing Cruess to third, and both would score on a Brady double down the left field line to give Thomas the 3-1 lead. Wood cruised through the innings until the bottom of the sixth, when he surrendered 2 runs with two outs to tie the game at 3.
Jacob Moye would come on in relief to get the final out of the inning.
In the 7th, following 2 strikeouts, Cruess would single up the middle. Melo popped out to the catcher for the final out of the inning, but the Saints pitcher was called for a balk, which advanced Cruess to second, and gave Melo new life at the plate. He would take advantage in a big way, depositing the next pitch over the left field fence for the game winning runs. Moye would close out the win in the bottom of the inning, getting a popout to Crosby to end the game.
Wood did not factor in the decision, but threw 5.2 innings, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits, while walking 4 and striking out 3. Moye picked up the win, tossing 1.1 innings, giving 1 hit and striking out 1. Melo finished 3-4, 2 RBI, with a double and a homerun, and Brady added 2 RBI on his two hits.
Thomas is back in action on Saturday morning at 11am against #12 Bellevue in the #2 vs. #3 game, with the winner advancing to the championship game vs. Warner. The game will be played at Avon Park High School.
For up-to-date information on these games and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU baseball team by following them via Twitter at@NightHawkBaseba.
