SEGUIN, Texas -- Second-ranked Trinity turned a line drive back to the mound into a game-ending double play and held off Texas Lutheran 13-12 for a non-conference victory at TLU's Katt-Isbel Field.

 

The Tigers improved to 23-3 overall. TLU dropped to 19-10.

 

Trinity jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the second inning and appeared headed for a big win over the Bulldogs, but TLU chipped away at the lead, scoring a run in the third, four in the fourth, three in the fifth, and two more in the sixth to tie the game.

 

Randy Huerta hit a two-run home run in the sixth to tie the game at 11-11. Huerta sent a pitch over the 405 sign in center field.

 

After Trinity took the lead again, with a run in the seventh, the Bulldogs responded again with a solo home run from Tyler Post.

 

The Tigers grabbed the lead for good in the ninth on an RBI single from Tyler Pettit.

 

TLU put the first two batters on base in the bottom of the ninth, but Ethan Clark struck out a batter and then snagged Tyler Cauley's line drive back to him. After catching the liner, Clark fired to first to double-off a Bulldog base-runner.

 

Clark recorded his second save of the year, and Joseph Chavana went three innings for the win. He improved to 4-0.

 

Caleb Maly led off the Bulldogs' bottom of the first with a solo home run. He went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBI.

 

Post was 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI, and Huerta was 1-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI.

 

Mason Meredith drove in four for the Tigers. Ezra Gore was 3-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored.

 

The top five batters in the Trinity order combined to score 11 runs. Designated hitter Brian Schaub scored three times.

 

TLU returns to conference play in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference with a three-game series in Kerrville against Schreiner University. The first game of the series starts at 2 p.m. Friday. Saturday's doubleheader begins at noon.