Clay Battelle, Local Sports, Sports, Trinity Christian

Shuba’s late home run keeps Warriors alive in section tournament

MORGANTOWN — A day after being forced to play with just eight players, the Trinity Christian baseball team kept its season alive with a dramatic, 6-5, win over Clay-Battelle in a Class A Region II, Section 2 elimination game Wednesday evening on Shilling Field.

Trailing 5-4 heading into the final two innings, Trinity’s Brock Shuba hit a two-run home run to right field that scored Noah Toler and gave the Warriors a 6-5 lead. Toler then got the final two outs in the top of the seventh to secure the win.

The Cee-Bees loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Toler induced a groundball to end the threat.

Clay-Battelle took the earlier lead thanks to back-to-back bases-loaded walks in the top of the fifth. Before that, Austin Foley and Kooper Stateler drove in a run each in the top of the first and Foley drove in another in the second.

Trinity responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Trenton Timperio and a double from Will McPherson. Statler scored to tie the game 3-3 in the bottom of the third.

Parker Hopkins singled home Shuba to give Trinity at 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth, setting up for the see-saw finish.

Trinity will play in another elimination game today at Doddridge County while Clay-Battelle’s season has come to an end. Doddridge defeated Notre Dame 8-3 on Wednesday.