Butler put the Tigers on the scoreboard in game one with an RBI double in the bottom half of the first inning, and it was the first of three doubles for the senior. Keystone tied the game with a home run in the third, but Trinity's potent offense added three runs in the fourth. Butler and Santos each produced an RBI double, as the Tigers took a 4-1 lead. The Giants came up with two runs in the fifth, but it was Butler with another double to make it 5-3. He drove in two more runs in the sixth inning, and Colin Serkowski had two RBI in the three-run seventh. The biggest inning for the Tigers was the eighth, when Trinity exploded for four runs to widen the lead.
Butler certainly earned his Tournament MVP accolade, going 4-6 with six RBI and three doubles in the opener. Coupled with his second-game performance, Butler hit 7-11 with seven RBI, four runs scored, four doubles, and a triple. Serkowski hit 3-5 in game one, with two RBI, while crossing the plate four times. He scored six runs in the Trinity's championship drive.
Troy Nelson was the starting pitcher in the first game of the day, and took the win. Nelson (6-1) pitched for 6.1 innings and fanned six of the Giants players. Kevin Flores was the relief pitcher for 2.2 innings, and earned his second save of the season. Flores also registered five "k's" in the process.
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