The Purdue University Calumet baseball team came from behind – for the third time in as many days – for a 6-5 victory over Trinity International University Wednesday morning in Auburndale, Fla.
The Peregrines have started the 2015 season out on a roll, winning their first six contests to begin the year 6-0 overall. Purdue Calumet currently stands as only one of three teams that remain unbeaten in the NAIA.
The Peregrines finish out their Florida trip tomorrow morning with a nine-inning, single game rematch against Trinity International at 9:30 a.m. in Winter Haven, Fla. The games will not count in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference standings.
Both teams were scoreless after four innings on Wednesday, before the Peregrines struck first in the top half of the fifth inning.
Junior Cody Dykema (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) reached on a fielding error to the second basemen as freshman Alec Skalka (Munster, Ind./Munster) scored to give the Peregrines the 1-0 lead.
Trinity International rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Jeff Lindberg singled to centerfield to bring home Joshua Burgos to tie the game up at one.
The Trojans were not done, as Andrew Grotelueschen had a two RBI single up the middle to give the Trojans the 3-1 lead.
Purdue Calumet responded with a five-run seventh inning to put the Peregrines ahead by one run. Senior John Livingston (Highland, Ind./Highland) singled with the bases loaded to make it a 3-2 ball game, followed by a sacrifice fly by sophomore CJ Gear (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) that scored Skalka to knot the game at three.
Peregrines’ senior Anthony Colosimo (Lake Forest, Ill./Loyola Academy) roped a base knock up the middle to put the Peregrines ahead, 4-3, before junior John Cristo (Munster, Ind./Munster) crushed a double to right field bringing home Colosimo and Dykema to give the Peregrines the 6-3 advantage
The Trojans battled back with two runs in the bottom of the seventh as Colt Foerch had an RBI single to cut the Peregrine lead to 6-4
Grotelueschen added another RBI as he grounded out to the shortstop to cut the lead to 6-5 in favor of the Peregrines.
The Peregrines went in to the ninth frame up one run and turned to Matt Sandoval (Highland, Ind./Bishop Noll) to pick up the save and Sandoval did just that. The 6-foot-1 right hander pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up his first save of the season as the Peregrines improve to 6-0 on the season
John Cristo led all Peregrines at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two RBI’s while Adam Crnkovic (Robertsdale, Ind./Clark) and John Livingston each racked up a pair of hits on the day.
Senior starter Anthony Spangler (Lansing, Ill./T.F. South) picked up his second win on the mound, scattering eight hits, giving up five earned runs and striking out seven in 6.1 innings of work.