GEORGETOWN, TEXAS - The Southwestern Baseball team took a 2-1 series win this weekend over the Trinity University Tigers in conference play. Trinity was ranked #23 in the country, one spot ahead of Southwestern in national polls. The Pirates fell to the Tigers in game one of the series by a score of 2-5 on Friday night. However, the Pirates were undeterred by the loss and came back on Saturday, winning two games in a row to take their first series win against Trinity since 2015.
The first game of the doubleheader on Saturday required extra innings and a gutsy effort from the Pirates squad. Tied 2-2 going into the tenth inning, Trinity secured two runs in the top of the tenth to take a 4-2 lead leaving the Pirates with their work cut out for them. With one out, the Tigers walked Josh Endo, bringing Maxwell Mims up to the plate. Mims hit the perfect ball to right center field in between the gap to drive Endo in and Mims with a third base hit. Vaquero singled right up the middle and stole second on the ensuing at bat. After an unsuccessful at bat from Christian Melillo, Trent Raschke stepped up to the plate where he hit a grounder to shortstop, what should have been a routine play for the Tigers ended in catastrophe as the ball squeezed through the shortstop's glove allowing Vaquero to make it home and 5-4 walk-off victory for Southwestern.
The final game of the series was highlighted by senior pitcher J.J. Slack. Slack went the distance and threw a complete game for Southwestern. In total, Slack logged 148 pitches, facing 35 batters, and throwing 88 strikes. Slack had ten strikeouts with five hits and one earned run to lead the Pirates to a 2-1 victory and the series win. James Vaquero batted .750 in the final game with three hits and one RBI to help the Pirates maintain their lead throughout the contest.
The Pirates advance their record to 22-7 on the season and 10-2 in conference play. Southwestern will close out their home schedule at Rockwell Family Field this weekend, with the first game of the series against Centenary taking place on Friday, April 21st, at 7:00 PM