Plainsmen Punch Ticket to Postseason With Wins Over Trinidad

Plainsmen Punch Ticket to Postseason With Wins Over Trinidad

May 3, 2019, Sterling, Colo. — The Plainsmen baseball team hosted the Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC) Trojans in a three-game series at Plainsmen Park. Northeastern needed to win at least two games against the Trojans to earn a berth into the Region IX tournament. Additionally, if the Plainsmen defeated Trinidad in all three games, then won more against McCook, they would host the tournament the following weekend. Regardless of the situation, the stakes were high going into the series for both teams. 

In the first game, Northeastern was able to break the ice against TSJC and go up 1-0 in the bottom of the first when Jaxon Rosencranz singled. Trinidad battled back in the third to take the lead 4-1 over the Plainsmen. In the fifth, Northeastern plated two runs to cut into the Trojans lead and make it a 5-3 game. Trinidad sealed the game in the following inning by scoring two and eventually winning 7-3. Tanner Schoeninger took the loss for the Plainsmen as he allowed four hits and six runs over five innings. 

The second game of the doubleheader was a barnburner as Northeastern initiated the run rule over the Trojans in the fifth and won 12-2. Once again, Cole Halpin was a bulldog on the mound and received the win by only surrendering two runs off three hits across five innings while striking out eight. Offensively, Northeastern blew the game wide open in the fourth by scoring six runs. With two-day series tied 1-1, the game came down to the one-nine inning game. 

The third and final game began with Northeastern locking down defensively in the field while knocking in a run in the first. Trinidad tied things up in the top of the third, plating one run, making it a 1-1 game. The Bottom of the fourth was a great inning for the Plainsmen as the scored four runs, two of which came off the Ben Newton home run. From that inning on, both teams played phenomenal defense with even better pitching as only one run was scored between both teams. Northeastern went on to win 5-2 with Cameron Spaeth earning it on the hill. He surrendered one run on five hits over four and two-thirds innings. Jayden Smith earned the save by pitching four and one-third innings. 

The Plainsmen will wrap up the regular season when they host the McCook Indians on Sunday and Monday. Northeastern is still in contention to host the Region IX tournament if they win all three against the Indians.