BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University baseball team played the Trojans of Trinity International winning 12-2 in their home opener for the 2022 season. Aren Gustafson moved into fourth place all-time in strikeouts punching out nine for the afternoon increasing his career total to 215. Tyler Wheeler and Rod Lucas both hit three-run home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning in the rout.

Gustafson, a senior left-handed hurler, tossed six scoreless innings giving up six hits and only one walk to go along with his nine strikeouts. The Rockton, Ill. native got out of jams to continue the shutout in the second and fourth innings where two Trojans reached base in each inning with no outs. Gustafson handed the ball off to Ryan Jemar who made his season debut for the final three outs giving up a two-run home run for TIU's only runs of the ballgame.

Garret Mooney's sacrifice fly to center opened the scoring in the second inning registering his first RBI of the year. Kai Hudson scored off the ball in play following hitting his second double of the season. ONU tacked on three more runs in the third inning as a pair of walks to begin the inning preceded a Jacob Bulthuis RBI single and a Ryan Russman RBI sac fly. The Tigers benefitted from an error later in the inning for the third score.

Nolan Louis made it 5-0 in favor of Olivet as his single into left field scored Robert Jackman in the fourth inning. Louis' single base knock tallied his first RBI of the spring. Jackman turned around and knocked a run in himself with a base hit down the line. Tyler Wheeler and Rod Lucas' three-run home runs accounted for six of the seven runs scored in the bottom of the sixth inning. Wheeler has now hit six home runs on the year and has batted in 19 runs total. Lucas cleared the outfield wall for the first time this year.

GAME VITALS

Finals: ONU 12, TIU 2

Records: Trinity International 7-8 (0-1 CCAC) | Olivet Nazarene 8-12 (1-0 CCAC)

WHAT's NEXT?

The Tigers will travel to Joliet, Ill. tomorrow to continue CCAC play to take on the Fighting Saints of St. Francis. The opening pitch is set for 3 p.m. CST. Please visit ONUTigers.com for all the latest information and up-to-date links to follow all the action.

--ONU—

*Contact: Patrick Kaindl, Sports Information Graduate Assistant