CLEBURNE, Texas — The clock struck midnight on Southwestern baseball's season in a game that carried on roughly half an hour past it, ending with the Pirates losing 13-9 to the Trinity Tigers in a SCAC Tournament elimination game. 

Less than an hour after Southwestern eliminated Centenary, Trinity opened the bottom of the first inning with six runs. The Tigers' first six hitters reached safely with a double, three consecutive singles, a walk, and double for five runs before the Pirates recorded an out. The sixth run scored on a balk before starter Benjamin Ludwig got out of the inning. 

Preston Witt put Southwestern on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning, hitting a solo blast to left-center. It was his second of the day after hitting a two-run home run against Centenary the previous game. 

Trinity responded with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning, with one charged to Ludwig and the other charged to Machi Horne, who took the mound for Southwestern after Ezra Gore hit a leadoff single. 

Southwestern put together three runs in the top of the fifth, all with two outs. Jake Harris hit a two-RBI double to left-center, scoring Maxwell Mims and Ted Lobkowicz, who each singled. Jacob Tanner drove Harris in with an RBI double down the right-field line to trim the deficit to 8-4. 

Trinity answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning, scoring on a three-run home run by Gore, then an RBI single from Tyler Pettit. 

The Pirates and Tigers exchanged one run each in the sixth. Southwestern scored Daniel Montgomery Jr. on an RBI double from Lance Kruse. Trinity followed with an RBI single from Rafe Chaumette to left-center. 

Southwestern mounted one final push in the top of the ninth. Landon Durdin opened the inning with a ground-rule double, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Bryce Debbs walked to put runners in the corners. Lobkowicz and Mims hit back-to-back RBI doubles. 

Harris walked to load the bases, and Tanner walked to score a run. Ryan Baranowski grounded out to the pitcher, scoring Tanner, and Montgomery walked to load the bases again, putting the tying run at the plate. Southwestern was unable to capitalize once Trinity made a pitching change, turning to Matthew Thomas, who ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts. 

With the loss, Southwestern ended the season with a 19-19 record. It went 13-5 in conference play and 1-2 in the SCAC Tournament.