MARSHALL, Texas – Down 2-0 after four innings, #15/19 East Texas Baptist University scored nine runs in four of the final five innings for a 9-4 win over Trinity University advancing to the NCAA Division III Marshall, Texas Regional Championship game. It is the first program win over Trinity University and only the second meeting of the two teams as ETBU moves to 37-11 on the year.
 
"I thought we competed really well. We got down early by a couple of runs and had a couple of innings where we had guys on base but came up short handed early," said head coach Jared Hood. "We kept putting pressure on the Trinity pitchers through-out the game and our guys finally punched through and scored a multitude of runs in a variety of ways. I thought our defensive play was outstanding and our pitching staff did a phenomenal job coming in. It was a well-rounded ball game that we played here today."
 
ETBU had 15 hits in the game as five players had two or more hits. Nicolas Chavez, who threw out two base runners, led the team with three hits recording one RBI. Jacob Evangelista, Carson Wilson, Jordan Hara, and Jake Miller all had two hits. Hara led the team with two RBI as Evangelista, Ben Lea, and Brett Wagner all had one RBI. Lea hit his NCAA Division III leading 23^rd home run in the game, too.
 
Chavez said, "I just trusted the process. I believed in myself,  in my staff, in my coaches, and Sayers and I trusted everything. I know what Sayers can do and I put my trust in him. That's all it was – the trust."
 
Sayers Collins started the game going 6.2 innings for his 11^th win of the year recording six strikeouts allowing five hits and two earned runs. Robert Croft followed going 1.1 innings with one strikeout and two earned runs on two hits. Trent Clark finished the final inning earning one strikeout and recording a double play.
 
Hood followed saying, "We have one more game. I really like how our guys are playing right now and the position they are in and I encourage everyone in the Marshall community to come out and support us tomorrow."
 
After a scoreless first inning, Trinity had a one-out double to right field bringing in two runs. With a runner on first and still one out, Collins got the next batter to pop out and then Chavez threw out the base runner stealing second to end the inning.
 
ETBU threatened in the third inning but a double play ended any chance of scoring and then in the fourth another chance came and went to score. With runners on the corners and one out, there was a strikeout and ground out as ETBU came up short.
 
"Ever since the conference tournament, our pitching staff mentality has been to just give our guys a chance and the way the hitters were approaching today against a really good Trinity pitching staff I knew it was only a matter of time for us even though we fell behind early," said Collins. "I went out there to give my guys a chance and they came through."
 
Two straight singles from Nick Massarini and Chazez started the fifth inning putting runners on the corners. A Trinity balk brought in the first run as Massarini came in. Evangelista followed with a single up the middle to bring in Chavez tying the game at two. After another single, Trinity switched pitchers and the next batter struck out for two outs. Evangelista stole home for the third run when Wilson was in a run down going to second base as ETBU took the lead, 3-2.
 
Three more runs were scored in the sixth inning to make it 6-2. Lea started the inning with a shot to right field to put ETBU 4-2 for his 23^rd home run of the year. After a flyout, Jase Jones doubled to right field and two batters later, Chavez doubled in Jones for the three-run lead, 5-2. A passed ball sent Chavez to third and on then came home as the catcher threw the ball down the left field line for the 6-2 lead.
 
Hara singled in Evangelista in the seventh to push the lead to five, 7-2. In the bottom of the eighth, Trinity scored two pulling within three, 7-4. ETBU answered with two runs in the top of the ninth for another five-run lead, 9-4. Hara singled in Miller making it 8-4 and then came home two batters later when Wagner doubled him in.
 
Clark came in the bottom of the ninth to hold Trinity to one hit which was the first batter. The second batter of the inning struck out and then Trinity hit into a double play as ETBU ended the game for the 9-4 win.
 
ETBU will now face eight Trinity or Cal Lutheran in the Regional Championship game at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.