ROME, Ga. – Kaleb Woodward, Sawyer Haynes and Khalfani Coney each collected three hits, Haynes drove in four runs and Grant Anderson and Coney each recorded three RBIs, as Trinity plated five runs in the first inning and never looked back in a 16-6 win against Berry in an elimination game in the SAA Baseball Championships here Friday at Advent Health Stadium.
The Tigers (24-18) advance to play Oglethorpe in the final game Friday, another elimination contest, while Berry (24-18) ends its season with the loss.
Trinity scored five runs on four hits in the first inning, part of a 16-hit attack, and plated four runs in the fourth and fifth innings and three more in the sixth in the seven-inning victory. Woodward, Will Baker and Anderson scored three times apiece and the top five hitters in the lineup accounted for 10 hits, 13 runs and 11 RBIs.
Tigers starter Jake Beck allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings, walking three with six strikeouts. Andrew Mason got the final six outs, giving up one run on three hits.
Berry starter Jackson Halla (0-3) allowed five runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning. The Vikings used five pitchers in the game.
Trinity started the contest with five runs on four hits in the first inning after a leadoff double down the leftfield line by Woodward. He moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.
With two outs Anderson and Haynes both walked and Michael Lustina singled to center, plating a run. Both runners moved up on a wild throw to third and Coney followed with a two-run single to leftcenter before an RBI triple down the rightfield line by Nicholas Jones, ending the day for Halla.
Berry got a run back in the second when Hayden Gilbert walked with one out and Ethan Finch singled to right, putting runners on the corners. Charles Pulaski flied out to center, plating the run, cutting the deficit to 5-1.
Trinity added to its lead in the fourth, starting with another hit for Woodward and no out was recorded on a soft liner up the middle by Thomas Moss, with Woodward sliding around a tag at second and the throw to first pulling Will Waters off the bag. Will Baker bunted and reached when Berry reliever Cole Porter misplayed it, loading the bases.
Anderson then singled to left, driving in two runs, and Haynes flied out to right, scoring another. Anderson stole third and came across on a groundout by Lustina, extending the advantage to 9-1.
In the fifth Berry’s Garrett Lang led off with a single and Riley Uhls hit a ground-rule double to leftcenter before a walk to Daniel Hong loaded the bases. Jacob Bridges hit a chopper up the middle, driving in a run when he beat the relay to first for a possible doubleplay.
Bridges stole second and Uhls scored when the throw got into centerfield and Bridges came across on a wild pitch, cutting the Trinity lead to 9-4.
Woodward started another big inning for the Tigers when he was hit with one out in the bottom of the fifth. He moved to third on an errant pickoff throw and after a walk to Baker, Anderson singled to leftcenter, scoring a run. Haynes then doubled off the wall in dead centerfield, plating two runs, and after a free pass to Lustina, Coney singled to center, driving in another run for a 13-4 advantage.
Ramsey led off with a single in the sixth for Trinity and Moss singled with one out before Baker sliced a double just inside the third base bag and into the corner, driving in two runs. Haynes doubled to deep left two batters later, adding another run for the Tigers.