It was a solid start for the Troy Christian baseball team on Friday, as they put two quick runs on the board against Northwestern on a cold, blustery day in Springfield.

Northwestern however, dominated the next three innings, exploding for five runs in the fourth, and ending the game on a run-rule when Spencer Rinaldi blasted a three-run walk-off homerun over the left field fence, giving the host Warriors a 15-4 victory over the Eagles in a non-league contest.

Northwestern threatened in the first inning when Cole Baldwin led off with a walk, and when Gage Vorhees reached on an error, Baldwin tried to make it to third but was thrown out.

In the top of the second, Chase Hayden was hit by a pitch, Jacob Williams singled and John Slone loaded the bases with a hit. With one out, Andrew Strait lined a single to score Hayden and Williams, and gave Troy Christian a 2-0 lead.

Northwestern came back and tied the game an inning later. A one out double from Derek Whip was followed one out later by another double from Evan Crew to make it 2-1.

A base hit from Brendan Huber tied the game at two heading to the third.

A leadoff walk for Troy Christian was erased by a fielders choice, but with two outs, Brown came around to score when Williams singled, giving the Eagles a 3-2 lead.

Back came the Warriors in their half of the third, when Rinaldi singled and Cole Brewer lined a shot which landed him at third, allowing Rinaldi to score, and tying the game at three. The next batter Christian Highfield launched a sacrifice fly to score Brewer, and the Warriors had their first lead of the game at 4-3 after three.

Again, Troy Christian didn’t go away, as they fought back to tie the game at four when Douglas doubled in Strait to tie the game 4-4. That is when the flood gated opened for the Warriors.

In their half of the fourth, Northwestern scored five times to open the game. Tanner White opened with a double, stole third and scored on a ground out from Crew. After the Warriors loaded the bases, two runs scored on wild pitches, and a sacrifice fly by Rinaldi scored Baldwin, and later a hit from Highfield plated another run, as the host Warriors led 9-4 heading to the fifth.

With the 10-run rule after five innings in the minds of the Warriors, they came out ready to do damage. Whip led off with a walk, White singled and Crew loaded the bases on an error. Dalton Lee was hit by a pitch to score one run, a walk scored another, and a sacrifice fly by Vorhees make it 12-4.

On the first pitch seen by Rinaldi, he deposited it over the wall in left, and the three runs ended the game on a forfeit.

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