AUSTIN, Texas – Casen Novak performed some last-inning magic, delivering a walk-off single in game one, and the Concordia Texas baseball team split the doubleheader with No. 1 Trinity on Tuesday.
 
With two outs and the go-ahead run in scoring position in the last inning, Novak came through with an RBI single to lift the Tornados to a 4-3 walk-off victory in game one over No. 1 ranked Trinity.
 
Novak was 2-for-3 with an RBI in the game, and Bret Leiferman also had a 2-for-3 performance with an RBI of his own.
 
Thomas Houle was credited with the win on the mound, tossing four shutout innings in relief and allowing only two hits.
 
Trinity jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the game, plating a pair of runs on an RBI fielder's choice and a passed ball in the top of the first.
 
The Tornados answered in the bottom half of the inning, starting with Brandon Goynes reaching on a walk and advancing to second when Novak laid down a sacrifice bunt. This set the stage for Bret Leiferman, who delivered an RBI base knock for CTX's first run of the day. Grayson Lee followed with a single, giving the Tornados runners at the corners, and they executed a perfect first-and-third play for the double steal. After one inning, the game was tied at 2-2.
 
In the third inning, Trinity jumped back out in front with an RBI single and took a 3-2 lead.
 
After a few quiet innings, Leiferman led off the bottom of the sixth with a bunt single, eventually reaching third and giving Mason Dubois the chance to drive a sacrifice fly to left field and even the score. Heading into the final frame, the score was tied at 3-3.
 
In the seventh inning, Goynes drew a two-out walk and stole second, and Novak's RBI single gave the Tornados a 4-3 win in walk-off fashion.
 
In game two, the Tornados were unable to get the bats going, recording only three hits, and a big sixth inning from Trinity put the game away. Concordia Texas dropped game two 9-0.
 
Chris Varljen had a solid game at the dish, picking up two of CTX's three hits as well as swiping a bag.
 
After two shutout innings, Trinity took an early 2-0 lead with a two-RBI single in the third.
 
Trinity tacked another run on their total in the fifth, delivering an RBI-single and extending their lead to 3-0.
 
In the sixth inning, three straight walks set up TU's bases-clearing double, followed by another RBI hit. With the big sixth frame, the Tornados trailed 7-0.
 
Trinity's final runs of the game came in the eighth, plating a pair after an RBI triple was extended due to a throwing error, and he Tornados found themselves in a 9-0 hole heading into the final frame.
 
Varljen led off the Tornados' final at-bat with a base knock, but the next three hitters were retired in order. The Tornados came out on the wrong end of 9-0 score in game two.
 
Ten different pitcher took the hill for CTX in game two, highlighted by a one-two-three inning with a punch-out from Hayden Schroeder.
 
Concordia Texas will resume conference play on Friday, traveling to Alpine, Texas and playing the first two games of a three-game set with Sul Ross State at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.