Trojans playoff run ends in Region 4 title game

The starting pitching for the Triton College baseball was tighter in its playoff re-match with South Suburban College, but the Bulldogs executed a seventh-inning rally to clinch their third consecutive Region 4 baseball championship in a 5-3 victory May 13 at Symonds-Puckett Field.

Tanner Johnson was superb in nursing a 3-2 lead into the seventh. But the game right-hander tired as the Trojans' arch-rival played small-ball to perfection against Johnson and reliever Deeiby Garcia.

Triton had a great chance to survive to play another game to finish the afternoon with a chance at the title after South Suburban had shredded their pitching staff in a 20-10 thumping two days earlier. Unfortunately, the ultimate champions (40-19) ended the Trojans' (37-20) season by capitalizing on their opportunities under pressure.

The Trojans had left runners in scoring position in three separate innings prior to the seventh, making their margin for error razor-thin.

"The only thing I'm disappointed in is when we needed to execute whether it was a squeeze or hit and run with the wind blowing in, we couldn't execute. We couldn't get a timely hit," said head coach Harry Torgerson.

The Trojans opened the scoring in the first when first baseman Jake Kutella, who has been hot in the postseason, doubled to right with Antoine Harris on first. When the relay throw got away in the infield, Harris – who had been stopped at third – dashed home under the tag.

Dylan Duguay slugged a two-run homer against Johnson in the second. Then Kutella struck again with a solo blast in the third against Bulldogs ace James Burke to tie it 2-2.

Jayden Gonzalez, who reached base all four times up, collected a two-out single in the fifth to get Triton the lead back at 3-2.  But the Trojans failed to cash in scoring opportunities in the second, fourth and sixth innings. In the sixth, Keyber Rodriguez led off with a double off the fence, but could not score after three infield outs.

Johnson nursed the lead into the seventh and nearly wiggled out of it. But Gavin Terry dumped a two-out single to center to tie it 3-3, and he was pulled in favor of reliever Garcia. The lead run soon scored when a line shot deflected off Rodriguez for an error. Then Dawson Tanner's single to right increased the Bulldogs lead to 5-3.

"Tanner Johnson pitched a great game," Torgerson said. "South Suburban executed better than we did. We won some games this season, but we have to win the regional."

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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)