MOUNT BERRY, Ga. - The Berry College baseball team took on Trinity University in a doubleheader matchup Friday afternoon. Berry lost a heartbreaker in the first game 8-7, and also dropped the second game 9-8.

Game One (Trinity 8 - Berry 7) 

JohnMark Christopher got the ball first for Berry, sitting the Tigers down in order to start. Through two innings of play, both teams had yet to have a baserunner reach first. Trinity quickly put an end to that by scoring two runs in the top of the third. Riley Uhls finally recorded the first hit for Berry in the fourth, and Tanaka Mukono was able to drive him in to get Berry within one. Going into the fifth inning, the score is set at 2-1.

Both offenses stayed stagnant, with Christopher creating two more zeroes and getting the Berry offense up in the bottom of the sixth, down one run. Chaz Moore led off the inning with a single and came around to score on two stolen bases combined with a Tiger error. The game is now tied at 2-2 with Christopher coming back out for his seventh inning of work.  In the bottom half, a hit by pitch and a defensive miscue from Trinity gives Berry runners on second and third with no outs. A bunt from Chase Edmonds and some help from a throwing error brought across two runs for Berry, giving the Vikings their first lead of the series at 4-2.

Christopher recorded two outs for Berry in the eighth before turning the mound over to Cole Porter. Trinity recaptured the lead, going back ahead 6-4 heading into the bottom half. With two outs and runners on second and third, Charles Pulaksi comes up huge for Berry, driving in two on a two-run double. Jon Strydom entered as the ninth-inning man out of the bullpen for Berry, recording a zero and giving the Vikings a chance to walk it off. Berry had bases loaded with one out, but failed to score anyone, and the game is now headed into extra innings.

Trinity scored one in the tenth, and Pulaski immediately responded again with an RBI single to tie the game at seven apiece. None more came across for Berry in the tenth, and Brady Greene heads out to the mound for the 11^th inning. With a clean inning from Greene, the top of the order is due up for the Vikings in the bottom half. Berry again had a runner on third with one out, but could not get the run in, and onto the 12^th inning the game goes. The first batter of the 12^th hit one over the left field wall, and Trinity retook the lead 8-7. The Vikings could not respond to this one, and they drop the second game of the series.

Game Two (Trinity 9 - Berry 8)

Eric Fountain started game three for Berry. Trinity once again got an early lead after scoring two in the first. Garrett Lang led off with an infield single, followed by a fielder's choice and an RBI for Uhls to set the score at 2-1 going into the second inning. Fountain allowed one earned run in the second, but escaped more damage to keep the Tigers' lead at two. Edmonds drove in the Vikings' second run from a fielder's choice in the second. Uhls then registered a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3.

Fountain allowed three more in the fourth inning, giving Trinity another multi-run lead. Hayden Gilbert followed that up with a single of his own to drive in Pulaski and bring the deficit back to two runs at 6-4 going into the fifth inning. Jackson Halla entered on the mound and registered zeroes in the fifth and sixth innings.

In the sixth, a leadoff walk by Gilbert and a double by Edmonds gave Berry runners on second and third with zero outs. Chance Edmonds sent a fly ball down the left field line to tie the game at 6-6 with a two-RBI double. Moore followed suit and drove in Chance Edmonds the next at bat to give Berry their first lead of the ballgame.

Halla put up another zero in the seventh inning, however in the eighth, Trinity was able to put three runs to take a 9-7 lead. Strydom threw a clean inning in the ninth, and Berry was able to get one run back in the bottom half but ultimately failed to tie the game.

Berry baseball will be back in action next Saturday when they travel to Danville, KY to take on Centre College.
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