NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 28) – The Tigers were dealt four losses by Trevecca Nazarene Friday and Saturday in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) action. The Trojans won by scores of 12-1 and 9-2 on Friday, before earning the series sweep with 9-0 and 14-2 wins on Saturday.
 
The defeats send the Salem International University baseball team to 3-21 overall and 1-7 in the G-MAC. Meanwhile, Trevecca improves to 7-1 in conference play and 16-11 overall this season.
 
The Tigers grabbed an early lead in game one on Thursday, but did not score over the final eight innings in a 12-1 loss.
 
Junior Nicco Lollio (Carleton, Mich./Airport) delivered a RBI single in the bottom of the first inning to give Salem International a 1-0 lead, but runs in the second, fourth, sixth and seventh innings pulled Trevecca out to a 6-1 lead through seven complete played. The Trojans put the game out of reach with a six-run eighth inning that was aided by a pair of errors to claim the 12-1 win.
 
Freshman Dolan Kunkel (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Centennial Collegiate) took the loss on the mound. Kunkel (2-5) allowed six runs on eight hits with three strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched.
 
The Tigers finished the game with seven hits, three of which came off of the bat of Lollio, who reached base in all four of his plate appearances.
 
Salem International tallied another early run in the second game on Thursday, but was put away by back-to-back multi run innings by the Trojans in a 9-2 loss.
 
Trevecca led 1-0 when sophomore Trent Dalton (Logan, W.Va./Logan) smacked a RBI single to right field to plate junior Jeff Apigo (Federal Way, Wash./Todd Beamer) and tie the game.
 
The Trojans went on to score four runs in both the third and fourth innings to establish a 9-1 lead through five innings. Lollio connected on a RBI double in the sixth inning to trim the deficit to seven, but the Tigers were retired in order in the seventh to end the game.
 
Freshman Kevin Ortiz-Arroyo (Orlando, Fla./Cypress Creek) was charged with the loss. Ortiz-Arroyo (0-7) allowed nine runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts over 5.0 innings on the hill.
 
Lollio led the Tigers at the plate in the night cap with two hits and an RBI, finishing the first day of action 5-for-6 with two RBI and a double.
 
Trevecca scored early and held the Salem International batting order to three hits in the Tigers 9-0 loss in the first game on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Trojans tagged Salem International senior pitcher Cam Hall (Fort Erie, Ontario/Lakeshore Catholic) for two runs in each of the first two innings, but the veteran righty settled in and held Trevecca without a hit in the next two frames.
 
The Tigers struggled to give Hall much support, scattering three hits and only pushing a run into scoring position once.
 
Hall (0-2) earned the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits with five strikeouts over 5.0 innings pitched.
 
Salem International was led at the plate once again by Lollio, who finished with two of the team's three hits in the loss.
 
Trevecca completed the four-game series sweep by clubbing out 28 hits to claim a 17-2 win in the final game of weekend Saturday.
 
The Trojans scored 12-consecutive runs to begin the game, before the Tigers could plate runs. Senior Aaron Alderman (Lakeland, Fla./Lake Gibson) picked up his first-two RBI of the season with a two-out double to the right-center field gap in the sixth inning to get Salem International on the board. The Tigers scattered a pair of hits in the final three innings, but did not make any ground on the Trevecca lead.
 
Junior Colton Lankford (Rowlett, Texas/Rowlett) was saddled with the loss on the mound. Lankford (1-4) allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 17 hits with one walk and two strikeouts over 5.0 innings on the bump.
 
Salem International finished the contest with several hits, including two from Apigo, who was the lone Tiger with multiple hits.
 
Lollio, who went hitless in the final game, upped his batting average by 57 points over the weekend. The Michigan native went 7-for-13 (.538) and is now leading the team with a .263 batting average.
 
Salem International appeared as the home team on the scoreboard and in the box score in all four games, despite playing the series on Trevecca's home field. The series, which was originally scheduled to be played at Frank Loria Memorial Field, were moved to Nashville due to unplayable weather conditions in West Virginia.
 
The Tigers will hit the road once again this Friday and Saturday when the head to Vienna, W.Va. on April 3-4 to take on Ohio Valley for a pair of G-MAC doubleheaders. The first-pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m., while Saturday's twinbill is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.