THOMASVILLE, Ga. - Thomas closed Tuesday's twin bill with a decisive surge, taking Game 1 by 14–6 and following with a 13–5 nightcap victory over Trinity College of Jacksonville at Varnedoe Stadium. Game 2 was called after a 15‑minute light delay at 10:00 p.m., final after five innings.
Game 1 — Thomas 14, Trinity 6
Thomas jumped on Trinity with a four‑run first inning, taking the lead in the fourth, tacking on insurance runs in the fifth and adding in a five‑run sixth to cruise to a 14–6 win in the opener. The Night Hawks finished with 14 hits, swiped five bases, and turned two double plays, while four different pitchers combined to hold the Tigers to six hits.
Thomas' first‑inning surge started with
Elias Garcia drawing a walk,
Julian Garcia singled to left, and
Brayden Lawhon rolling a single to right to load the bases. After a pinch‑runner (
Teiresias Jones Jr.) entered for
Brayden Lawhon,
Jaylen Roque shot a two‑RBI single to right and took second on the throw, pushing three runs across as Garcia (E.), Garcia (J.), and Jones Jr. all scored.
Lucas Dufresne then plated Roque with an RBI grounder to short for a 4–2.
Trinity answered back and took the lead in the second, but Thomas' defense turned a 543 double play to limit the damage.
Charlie Eidelman stemmed the inning after replacing starter
Knox Ledbetter.
In the third, Thomas manufactured a run with classic small ball. Roque walked and stole second, Dufresne beat out an infield single, and
Max Pickert laid down a sacrifice that turned into an error on the pitcher, allowing Roque to score unearned. That sequence tied the game up at 5 a-piece.
Trinity took the lead again in the fourth after a miscue, a stolen base and a balk put the lead runner 90 feet away from a run with one out. Then an RBI single through the left side put the Night Hawks down 6-5.
Thomas added two more in the fourth. After Garcia (J.) walked and stole second, Lawhon shot a single up the middle to bring him home. Jones Jr. then stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored when Dufresne bounced a single to left for another RBI. The inning ended on a deep fly, but the Night Hawks led 7-6 through four.
A crisp 1‑2‑3 fifth by
Ryan Chapman set up another two‑run answer in the home half.
Jackson Thomas singled,
Jeremy Santiago bunted for a hit, and Garcia (E.) put down a sac bunt to the pitcher. Garcia (J.) then delivered again—rifling a two‑RBI single through the right side and taking second on the throw to make it 9–6
The sixth proved decisive as Thomas posted five more. It opened with a Dufresne single and a Pickert infield hit; a pop to the catcher briefly stalled the rally before Pickert stole second and a pair of wild pitches cashed in both Dufresne and Pickert. After Jaxson Thomas walked, another wild pitch pushed him to third and brought him home, Garcia (E.) walked, Garcia (J.) singled up the middle, and Lawhon lined a center‑field RBI single to cap the five‑run surge at 14–5. Trinity went quietly in the seventh as
Michael Surane induced three straight groundouts to close.
At the plate, Garcia (J.) starred at designated hitter, going 3‑for‑3 with two steals, three runs, and two RBI. Lawhon finished 3‑for‑5 with 2 RBI, Dufresne added 3‑for‑4, 2 RBI, Roque scored twice with 2 RBI and a stolen base, and Pickert reached three times with a hit, sac, RBI and stolen base. Garcia (E.) scored twice and reached four times.
On the mound, Ledbetter started, Eidelman steadied the second and third, and Chapman dominated the middle with 2.2 scoreless innings (no hits, 3 K, DP ball). Surane needed just nine pitches to roll three grounders in a scoreless seventh. Thomas' staff permitted only four earned runs and turned two double plays.
Game 2 — Thomas 13, Trinity 5 (5 Innings)
Thomas matched early pressure with a three‑run second and detonated a nine‑run third, rolling to a 13–5 win in the nightcap. The game was called at 10:00 p.m. after a 15‑minute light delay, and declared final after five innings with Thomas leading by eight. The Night Hawks stacked 12 hits, worked seven walks, and did not strike out, while the pitching staff held Trinity to four hits.
Trinity manufactured two without a hit. Logan McGann walked, stole second, and, after a walk and HBP loaded the bases, two wild pitches brought home McGann and Cooper Scruggs.
Levi Siebenmorgan punched out two hitters in the frame to keep it to 2–0. Thomas put two aboard in its half but could not cash in.
The Night Hawks answered with three.
Drew Clayton and Nate Slaughter drew back‑to‑back walks; Braeden Goolsby followed with a single to right to load the bases. Garcia (E.) lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Clayton, and the play snowballed when a throwing error in right moved runners up. With two down, Pickert's grounder turned into a throwing error at second, and both Goolsby and Jones Jr. scored unearned for a 3–3 tie.
After Roque's flyout, Dufresne walked and Reyes reached on a fielder's choice. From there, Thomas sent 13 batters to the plate and erupted for nine. Clayton singled up the middle and took second on the throw, scoring Reyes. Slaughter followed with a run‑scoring single to right to bring in Clayton. Pinch‑runner Jones Jr. re‑entered and later advanced when Goolsby walked; Garcia (E.) then walked to load them again.
Pickert drew a bases‑loaded walk to push Thomas ahead 6–3. Lawhon lined a two‑RBI single to right, plating Garcia (E.) and Goolsby for 8–3. A dropped fly in left on Roque's ball kept the inning alive as Pickert scored for 9–3. Dufresne walked to reload the bases, and Reyes delivered the dagger—a three‑RBI double through the left side—as Lawhon, Roque, and Dufresne all scored to make it 12–3. A catcher's throwing error moved Reyes to third before a popup finally ended the frame.
Trinity got two back in the top half on a two‑out rally: after a walk and HBP, Burgos shot a two‑RBI single to right. Thomas answered with one. Goolsby ripped a double to right, Jones Jr. singled to center, and Pickert drove Goolsby home with a single up the middle for 13–5.
Reliever
Zach Buelk navigated a bases‑loaded spot with two strikeouts in the top half, then
Tyler Marczak took the mound a struck out Williams to get the Night Hawks out of a bases loaded jam. At 10:00 p.m. the stadium lights automatically shut off; after a 15‑minute delay, the game was called under the venue's conditions with TU leading 13–5.
Reyes produced the swing of the night—his three‑RBI double capped the nine‑run third—and finished 2‑for‑4 with 3 RBI. Pickert went 2‑for‑3 with 2 RBI and reached three times, Lawhon posted 2‑for‑4, 2 RBI and a steal, and Goolsby scored three with a 2‑for‑2 line including a double. Clayton added a hit, a walk, 2 runs, and an RBI. Thomas totaled 12 hits, 7 walks, and zero strikeouts on the night.
Starter Siebenmorgan (1.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 K) worked through first‑inning turbulence without allowing a hit, aided by two strikeouts.
TJ Harley bridged the middle (2.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 K) and induced a key strikeout to blunt a third‑inning threat. Buelk recorded two strikeouts across 1.0 IP. Marzack added in a strikeout. After the ensuing light delay, the game was called.
The Night Hawks have not struck out in four of their last five games.
Thomas travels to face Loyola in their first SSAC series of the season. The doubleheader will take place on Friday at 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM CST and game three will be on Saturday at 1:00 PM CST.
