Jacksonville, Fla. – The Thomas Night Hawks notched a couple of wins in their final non-conference series of the year against Trinity Baptist College Eagles on Tuesday afternoon.
Thomas 8 Trinity Baptist 1
The Night Hawks powered their way past Trinity Baptist, 8–1, using three home runs and a dominant outing from starter Jaxon Smith to secure the series-opening win.
Catcher Brayden Lawhon led the offensive surge with a three-RBI day, including a two-run home run that put the Night Hawks firmly in control during a three-run third inning. Gabe Tafelski added a two-run homer in the sixth, and Michael Sowers launched a solo shot as part of a three-hit performance, fueling Thomas' nine-hit attack.
Thomas wasted no time getting on the board, scoring twice in the top of the first. After a quiet second frame, the bats came alive in the third, as Lawhon's homer and Tyler Marczak's RBI single extended the lead to 5–0.
Smith picked up the win with four strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out three. He worked around traffic in the fourth before handing it off to the bullpen, which included clean relief innings from Ashton O'Quinn and Brandon Eby.
Tafelski finished with three RBIs on a pair of extra-base hits, while Lawhon and Sowers combined for five of Thomas' eight RBIs. Defensively, the Night Hawks turned three double plays and committed no errors.
Trinity Baptist managed its lone run in the fourth but was otherwise stifled by Thomas' pitching and defense. The Eagles stranded five runners and hit into three double plays.
Thomas 4 Trinity Baptist 3
Thomas University completed a sweep over Trinity Baptist, edging the Eagles 4–3 in Game 2 behind timely hitting, solid bullpen work, and a go-ahead sixth-inning rally.
The Night Hawks struck early with a two-run first inning but saw their lead erased by the third. Tied 3–3 entering the sixth, Thomas pushed across two crucial runs to retake the lead and held on the rest of the way. Tafelski delivered the game-winning RBI on a two-out single, part of a two-hit, one-RBI effort.
Right-hander Ryan Chapman picked up the win in relief, tossing 2.1 shutout innings with two strikeouts. Brandon Steele recorded his sixth save of the season, striking out two and working around a leadoff single in a scoreless seventh.
Trey Larkin sparked the offense with an RBI triple and a stolen base, while Seth Waltimyer added a double and scored once. Thomas totaled 10 hits in the game, including multi-hit efforts from Elias Garcia, Cameron Rosario, and Tafelski.
Starter Chase Marsh lasted 2.2 innings, allowing three runs before turning it over to a bullpen that shut Trinity Baptist down over the final 4.1 frames.
The Night Hawks will return home this weekend to face off against Point University in a crucial SSAC series. Game one will be on Friday, April 18th at 6:00PM.
